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Boxing

Manny Pacquiao has no interest in fighting Conor McGregor, says Freddie Roach

Alexander Netherton
Manny Pacquiao has no interest in fighting Conor McGregor, says Freddie RoachDAZN
The pair had been in talks before McGregor's second match with Poirier

Manny Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach says the champion-in-recess has no interest in fighting Conor McGregor.

McGregor and Pacquiao were in talks over a return to boxing for the pair of them, but talks fell through when the former UFC champion lost to Dustin Poirier.

Poirier then won the third match between the two and McGregor’s leg break in that fight put all of his fighting plans on pause.

As for Pacquiao, he is due to fight welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. on August 21.

Speaking to the Sun, Roach said that the Filipino has no wish to get involved with a MMA fighter.

"That sport is a little bit different, it's just not boxing,” he said.

"Manny does not have any interest in fighting an MMA fighter, he wants to fight the best fighters out there.

"If he can't be at that level at boxing, then he doesn't want to be boxing. He will retire and hopefully become president of his country.

"If there is another fight after this it's not going to be McGregor, it's going to be one of the best guys out there.

"It's not going to be a guy from another sport. Manny and Georges St-Pierre are friends and so forth but the sports just do not match up well together.

"I want to see good boxing and that's what you get from Manny Pacquiao. He's always fought the best out there."

While many give Spence the edge ahead of their fight, Roach thinks that Spence does not have the speed to trouble his fighter, saying: "There's a couple of guys I worry about, because they're younger, they're stronger and have very difficult styles.

"But Spence, I do like because he's flat-footed, he's heavy on his feet and he gets tired in the latter rounds.”