Evander Holyfield backs Conor McGregor ahead of proposed Manny Pacquiao fight

Conor McGregor has a chance to defeat Manny Pacquiao if the two were to have a boxing match, believes former undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Holyfield stated, “Anybody who gets in the ring has some chance, I believe. You ain’t getting in the ring if you think you ain’t got a chance. And Conor McGregor has some skills too.”

‘I want to experience fighting an MMA fighter’: Manny Pacquiao moves closer to potential boxing match with Conor McGregor | https://t.co/UXaTZpFcu7 pic.twitter.com/cTKWAsVrI5

— TheMacLife (@Maclifeofficial) January 12, 2021

Holyfield further added, “He has that heart to fight, the heart of a fighter. He can fight so ain't nobody just going to beat him up in no kind of way. Just like the boxers, he has the mentality of a fighter. Manny, even if he went into an MMA fight he would get kicked but he will get some punches in there and fight, he may get torn up in the end but he is a fighter who is able to do something because of the mentality and how we fighters think. So, McGregor has a chance”

It is worth noticing that Conor McGregor already has a professional boxing bout under his belt. He fought the undefeated Floyd Mayweather in 2017 – a fight which produced a huge payday for both the fighters.

In fact, such was the popularity of the Conor McGregor’s name that Mayweather came out of retirement to participate in the bout.

While Conor lost the fight via TKO in the tenth round, he had his moments, especially in the earlier rounds.

He came out aggressive and landed some clean shots at Floyd, utilizing his bigger frame and greater power. The veteran Floyd, though, weathered the storm and slowly started dismantling Conor after the fifth round.

What’s next for Conor McGregor?

While a boxing match against Manny is certainly an interesting proposition for Conor McGregor, he is currently focused on regaining the lightweight strap.

With Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement at UFC 254, the UFC is still looking for a champion at 155-pounds.

Conor had initially won the lightweight title in 2016 at UFC 205, defeating Eddie Alvarez and becoming the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC.

He will be looking for a repeat performance as he takes on Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23rd, whom he believes he can defeat once again.

Conor McGregor: “I like Dustin. I think he’s a good fighter. He’s even a great fighter. But great is still levels below me. I’ll knock Dustin out inside 60 seconds.” ⌚ #UFC257pic.twitter.com/0PPqRdkTCA

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) January 11, 2021