Photo by Stanislav Krasilnikov\TASS via Getty Images
Whether or not you believe Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao will square off inside of the boxing ring later this year it really doesn’t matter. The combat world has been buzzing ever since “Notorious” eluded to the potential bout earlier today and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Despite McGregor’s recent retirement from combat sports, specifically Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Irish superstar still has one foot in the door for a return. After all, the former two-division UFC champion is only 32 years of age and clearly has a lot of fight left in the tank, regardless of his current wealth and consistent issues outside of the cage.
While many would like to see McGregor return to the Octagon to fight his way back to a lightweight title shot and an eventual rematch with current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, “Notorious” seems more interested in testing his luck inside of the boxing ring one more time.
Unfortunately for McGregor, who lost his professional boxing debut opposite Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in 2017, not many people are giving him a chance against “Pac-Man.”
According to the oddsmakers over at Bet Online, McGregor has opened as a +700 underdog in a potential bout with Pacquiao. That means a $100 bet for “Notorious” to defeat Pacquiao would net you $700 in winnings. These are worse odds for McGregor compared to his superfight with Mayweather three years ago when the Irishman closed around a +400 underdog.
On the flip side, Pacquiao’s odds to defeat McGregor inside of the boxing ring currently sits at -1200. In this instance, it would cost you $1,200 to win $100 on “Pac-Man.” It seems risky, but you have to consider Pacquiao has remained active over the past few years, earning a 3-0 record since the start of 2018. This includes wins over notable fighters Keith Thurman, Adrien Broner, and Lucas Matthysse.
This is obviously all smoke and mirrors until something materializes at the negotiating table. But if UFC is in fact playing a part in these talks it’s safe to say a McGregor vs. Pacquiao superfight has a real good chance of taking off.
What say you, fight fans? Who would you bet on given the above odds? Is Pacquiao easy money or is McGregor worth a shot?
Let’s hear it!