Conor McGregor celebrates after defeating Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout during UFC246 at T-Mobile Arena on January 18, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. McGregor won by a TKO in the first round. Steve Marcus/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—Though Conor McGregor’s set for a highly-anticipated rematch with Dustin Poirier in the UFC, the Irish superstar is already looking ahead for his next fight and a different sport.
McGregor believes that his fight against eight-division World champion Manny Pacquiao will happen sometime this 2021.
Talking to The Mac Life, McGregor said he’s determined to win a boxing title and he’d be delighted if it would be against Pacquiao.
“I know that talks are intensifying for [a fight] this year. I am excited for a Manny Pacquiao bout and it looks like it will happen this year. What time this year? I am not sure,” said McGregor h/t BoxingScene.
“We’ll have to have some good discussions with [UFC President] Dana White and the UFC and see where it goes. I am open to it all, ready for it all. I will certainly attain a boxing world title before I call it a day. And I would be excited to do that against Emmanuel Pacquiao.”
White, however, previously stressed that McGregor should focus first on MMA this 2021 as he believes there’s a strong possibility that a title fight could be on the horizon for The Notorious.
The UFC boss is already negotiating with Khabib Nurmagomedov to return after the lightweight champion retired in 2020 after his title defense against Justin Gaethje.
“I would love to see him focused on what he can do here at the UFC. Whether it takes another shot at that title against Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or fight for the title against somebody else if Khabib retires and defend that title,” said White in an ESPN interview.
Both Pacquiao and McGregor already agreed to fight each other but the intricacies of the sport’s business side have yet to be ironed out.