Following reports that there is a possible Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. rematch this year, Ultimate Fighting Championship Conor McGregor did not mince words and mocked the Filipino champion’s statements.
This comes as the eight-division world champion on New Year’s Eve teased a rematch with the controversial Mayweather in an event in Tokyo, Japan held by promotional firm Rizin.
“I will see you here in Japan again, for a big fight against…” Pacquiao said at Rizin’s event, which was finished by Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara with “Floyd Mayweather.”
“I thought you wouldn’t want me to say that,” Pacquiao replied to Sakakibara.
McGregor, for his part, saw an opportinity to mock Pacquiao, taking to social media and on an Instagram story, the MMA fighter posted the clip of the announcement with the caption “a lesson in how not to make an announcement.”
This was followed by a crying laughing emoji.
Mayweather hasn’t confirmed the announcement yet as boxing fans doubt that the rematch would take place this year, according to the column of Boxing News 24/7 writer Rob Smith during New Year.
To recall, McGregor was tied to a possible match against Pacquiao, but it did not pan out following the legal dispute of the Filipino boxing champion with McGregor’s management agency Paradigm, resulting in the botching of plans to pit the two combat sports stars.
A US court last year even ordered Pacquiao to pay Paradigm $5.1 million as penalty for breach of contract.
This is not the first time McGregor chided the retired boxer. The Sun, quoting a voice note from McGregor that he uploaded on X (formerly Twitter), reported McGregor demanding Pacquiao to pay up what he claims he is owed.
“Where’s my $8 million from that court case, Manny Pacquiao? You owe me $8 million, Manny…” McGregor can be heard as saying.
In previous interviews, the brash McGregor stressed that Pacquiao still owes him money from the botched PSM deal.
“You can appeal all you want, hurry up with your appeal, you owe me that dough, lad. You can’t sign a contract with an agency to represent you and then go start to do other things like imminently, straight away,” McGregor said.
Pacquiao has yet to respond to McGregor’s latest antics.
