UFC star Conor McGregor's manager files $3 million lawsuit against Manny Pacquiao

According to a report from The Athletic, Conor McGregor's manager Audie Attar has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Manny Pacquiao.

Attar is apparently demanding that Manny Pacquiao returns the $3.3 million advance paid to him by Paradigm Sports..

Audie Attar has also requested an injunction to refrain Pacquiao from competing in his scheduled welterweight title fight against Errol Spence Jr. on August 21. In the lawsuit he filed, Attar claimed that he had held talks with Pacquiao to fight Mikey Garcia.

In the lawsuit, Paradigm Sports attorney Judd Burstein mentioned the economic and reputational loss the company will suffer due to Pacquiao breaching the contract.

“In addition to the millions of dollars in straightforward economic loss that Paradigm stands to suffer, the damage to its reputation resulting from Pacquiao’s breaches is incalculable. Just when Paradigm was at the cusp of establishing itself as a major player in professional boxing, Pacquiao has left its reputation as a boxing representative in tatters.”

Paradigm Sports was reportedly "under the impression" that Sen. Manny Pacquiao would sign a deal to fight Mikey Garcia — a bout that Paradigm had negotiated.Read: https://t.co/TkHDlznP3l pic.twitter.com/v72XawpzGJ

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) June 27, 2021

In response, Manny Pacquiao's attorney Dale Kinsella termed the lawsuit a 'frivolous effort to interfere with Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming mega fight'. Kinsella stated the following-

"The complaint filed by Paradigm Sports in California state court on Friday is a frivolous effort to interfere with Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming mega fight, and it can and will fail for numerous reasons. Moreover, had Manny Pacquiao known that Paradigm Sports appears to have had no intention of fulfilling its contractual obligations, he never would have entered into any relationship with them.

"Should this matter actually proceed beyond Friday’s filing in a court of law, Mr. Pacquiao will vigorously defend this action, assert his own claims against Paradigm Sports, and seek to recover his attorney’s fees as well.”

---

Manny Pacquiao was supposed to fight either Ryan Garcia or Conor McGregor this year

According to the lawsuit, Pacquiao signed a four-fight deal with Paradigm in February 2020 that would start with a fight against Ryan Garcia in Saudi Arabia.

While that fight never happened, Audie Attar tried to book a super fight between Pacquiao and McGregor this year. But after McGregor lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, that fight was shelved.

Manny Pacquiao sued by Paradigm Sports; injunction to stop Errol Spence fight filed https://t.co/TkdMCofRKO

— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) June 27, 2021

Ultimately, Manny Pacquiao announced that he will be fighting Spence. Per the lawsuit, Pacquiao's announcement came at a time when Paradigm Sports was led to believe that the legendary boxer would sign to fight Mikey Garcia.