The excitement has started to build up on the announced boxing duel that will feature Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor atop the ring likely in late December or January 2021. However, UFC chief Dana White is convinced the fight is the Irishman merely wanting to get attention or stealing thunder.
While Pacquaio and McGregor appeared ready to face off for the money fight, White said he views the development as reflective of McGregor's weird behavior. The American, who is feuding with The Notorious, claimed the MMA fighter is diverting attention that should have been focused on other things.
An example is Israel Adesanya's showdown with Paulo Costa, which White said is a record-breaking UFC match. McGregor was trying to steal the thunder from that match, the UFC president insisted.
"The day before that fight, he starts announcing he's going to fight this guy and that guy," The Sun reported White as saying.
Another diversion from the Irishman is the spat he picked with White, and the latter said the MMA superstar did a dirty thing leaking their private conversations.
White, however, stopped short of suggesting that the Pacquiao-McGregor bout is but a ruse and nothing will come out of it. The latest media reports indicated Pacquiao is sold on the dream boxing fight, which is not a battle for any championship belt.
However, the Filipino icon made clear that the mega-fight will only take place on one condition - that he and McGregor will act as co-promoter in equal stead. If his terms and conditions are met by the Irishman's side, Pacquiao sees no reason why the blockbuster deal will not be finalized.
Meanwhile, Brad Pickett weighed in on the proposed matchup and admitted Pacquiao, who has won numerous world titles fighting on the ring, has the edge. But Pickett warned his fellow MMA artist can pull off a surprise.
The possibility is there that McGregor can win as Pickett insisted that the 32-year-old has "a puncher's chance of upsetting," the Pacman.
"In MMA, we start on our feet and spend a lot of time on our feet. I believe 100 percent that UFC fighters can do well in pro boxing. Conor has one of the best sets of hands in the UFC," World Boxing News reported the MMA fighter as saying.
He added that the majority of MMA artists started with amateur boxing and such is the case of McGregor. The latter made good and became a legend in his arena, and Pickett said it's not remote that such brilliance can be extended to the boxing ring.
Pickett added that two things should work in favor of McGregor - the MMA superstar is bigger and Pacquiao is perceived to be past his prime.
