Conor McGregor ‘fully killed’ $100m Manny Pacquiao struggle after being knocked out chilly by Dustin Poirier in UFC return

Conor McGregor misplaced out on a possible $100million scrap with Manny Pacquiao due to his knockout defeat to Dustin Poirier on Struggle Island.

The ‘Infamous’ seemed set to return to the world of boxing at the beginning of the yr after asserting he would rematch Poirier at UFC 257.

Having already knocked ‘The Diamond’ out of their earlier assembly at UFC 178, McGregor appeared sure he would repeat the feat after which advance onto a legacy-defining struggle towards the boxing nice.

With Pacquiao already signed to Paradigm Sports activities, talkSPORT has discovered the 2 fighters have been probably every week away from asserting the struggle.

Nonetheless, as a result of he was stopped by Poirier in January on Struggle Island in Abu Dhabi, world-renowned fight sports activities journalist Nick Peet claims the emphatic end put these plans on maintain.

“It was an exciting end from Dustin,” Peet informed talkSPORT.com. “As you say, no-one predicted it.

“It actually tore up Conor McGregor’s script for 2021 as a result of he was gone. He was going to struggle Manny Pacquiao in a boxing ring, it was accomplished.

“They have been asserting it days later; they stated to us afterwards ‘We have been going to boxing.’

“Now, had Dustin Poirier possibly labored his manner by way of and edged a factors resolution, and even submitted Conor within the first spherical with a rear-naked choke, I nonetheless suppose you’ll have gotten Conor in Dubai, seven days later, standing on a stage with Manny Pacquiao saying he was going again to boxing.

“It was the truth that he acquired knocked out and he acquired knocked out with fingers, that’s what fully killed the Pacquiao struggle.

“In order that value Conor successfully about $100million, that loss.”

McGregor had recruited childhood boxing coach Phil Sutcliffe of the Crumlin Boxing Academy to be a part of his coaching camp for the Poirier rematch and even drafted in southpaw sparring companions.

Dylan Moran, a 15-1 boxer from Eire, was introduced in to copy a southpaw stance – which many concluded was to copy Poirier.

But the 26-year-old welterweight is nearer in each type and stature to Pacquiao – suggesting McGregor and his staff already had one eye on the legendary eight-weight world champion.

Peet continued: “It was nearly like, ‘I’ve simply acquired to beat Dustin after which I’m going to get again to my boxing teaching as a result of I’ve acquired to announce Manny Pacquiao subsequent week – the legacy struggle.’

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“You simply can’t try this in MMA. You are able to do that towards ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, with all due respect to Cowboy as a result of he’s on his manner out of the game.

“You definitely can not do it towards Dustin Poirier, who’s on the peak of his powers.”

The Irishman is now at the moment recovering from a damaged leg sustained in his trilogy struggle towards Poirier on July 10 and stays sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Pacquiao in the meantime returns to motion this weekend when he faces Yordenis Ugas for the WBA ‘tremendous’ welterweight title after Errol Spence pulled out by way of harm