UFC icon Conor McGregor has the chance to challenge a boxing world champion and World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman discusses exactly how.
One of the greatest ever to step inside the Octagon, former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor Mcgregor has been featured in only one professional boxing match, in the historic fight against Floyd Mayweather in August 2017, which was sanctioned by WBC.
Despite winning the early rounds against “Money”, the fifteen times world champion outperformed McGregor in the later rounds, clinching victory via a 10th round TKO. Since the bout, McGregor has not been seen donning the boxing gloves yet.
However, the council president Mauricio Sulaiman asserts the Irishman needs to trounce a 15 or higher ranked WBC pugilist in the squared circle to earn himself a chance at a title fight.
“I would say, he needs to face and defeat a ranked fighter, then he would be eligible to be ranked and to compete for a title,” Sulaiman spoke to SunSport.
In the past, WBC has sanctioned many crossovers of Muay Thai fifers into boxing and later becoming title challengers and Sulaiman did not forget to refer to the same.
“Because, we have plenty of examples of Muay Thai fighters, who turn professional in international boxing, and they are eligible to fight for the title,” the WBC prez went on, “We also have amateur superstars like Vasiliy Lomachenko, they come into professional boxing and fight for the title and it’s proven it works.”
With a green light from WBC, its likely that McGregor may return to the boxing ring in future, as the mixed martial artist himself expressed the desire to do so last March.
ALSO READ: Ex-UFC icon Paige VanZant reveals date for bare-knuckle boxing debut
Evander Holyfield believes Conor McGregor can beat Manny Pacquiao in boxing
Former undisputed champion of the world Evander Holyfield firmly believes Conor McGregor holds the upper hand against Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, even if its a boxing match, citing the former’s longer reach to give him an edge.
“Well, he’s got longer arms. So he has reach advantage,” Holyfield told SunSport, while admitting at the same time that conquering Manny will not be any easy task.
“So he has to keep Pacquiao to the side and throw the punches straight, which is going to be difficult. You’re talking about fighting somebody who has been doing boxing their whole life,” the former cruiserweight and at heavyweight champion added.
