RETIRED Filipino taekwondo living legend Monsour del Rosario believes the fight — whether it’s an exhibition or a real fight — that ring icon Manny Pacquiao should be taking is with Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Conor McGregor.
The 59-year-old former action star and congressman said the fight, if it happens, will still be a major attraction among fans all over the world, highlighted by their achievements in their respective combat sports professionally.
“It’s still the fight that people would love to watch, including me because both fighters are real certified crowd drawers in their respective sports,” said Del Rosario, the 1985 Seoul, Korea World Championships bronze medalist.
Del Rosario, the Taekwondo Man of the Year in 2017, said also that only the McGregor fight will give the former Senator a huge payday that he can use for his charitable causes — not the early exhibition bout announced against South Korean YouTuber DK Yoo in December.
“I believe if the fight pushes through, Pacquiao will earn a lot of money from that fight, especially if it will be held in the US or in any place in the world where people can go and watch the fight,” the 1987 and 1989 taekwondo Southeast Asian Games gold medalist added. “It’s not the other fights that were announced.”
Paradigm Sports Management under CEO Audie Attar is the manager of McGregor.
But the PSM has a legal pending case with the 43-year-old Pacquiao at the Superior Court of California for alleged breach of contract last year.
PSM is seeking to recover $3.3 million it claims it paid Pacquiao in advance for a fight PSM is eyeing for the boxer.
But Del Rosario refused to discuss it.
“I hope everything will be settled for Manny’s own good because he’s like a brother to me. I don’t know what’s going on between them, but I am one of those people who would like to see the Pacquiao-McGregor fight happen,” Del Rosario explained.
“I agree also with other politicians and fight enthusiasts that Manny should settle his problem first with Paradigm for his own good as well. But it’s really up to the two parties involved here,” added Del Rosario, who also predicted that the eight-division world champion will win against the 34-year-old Irish MMA superstar either via unanimous decision or by a knockout.
Besides McGregor, Leon Edwards, who just defeated Kamaru Usman via a fifth-round knockout win with a left roundhouse kick during UFC 278 recently, is also one of the many fighters managed by the PSM.
He also seized the UFC welterweight champion in the process.