MANILA, Philippines – Retired Filipino taekwondo icon Monsour del Rosario believes the opponent that Manny Pacquiao should pursuing — whether in an exhibition or a real bout — is none other than Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Conor McGregor.
The 59-year-old action star and former congressman said a Pacquiao-McGregor fight will still be a major attraction owing to both fighters’ respective achievements.
“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, a 1985 Seoul World Championships bronze medalist.
Del Rosario, the Taekwondo Man of the Year in 2017, added that only the McGregor fight will give the former senator a huge payday that he can use for his charitable cause — not the previously announced exhibition bout 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 & watch the fight “ … the 1987 and 1989 Southeast Asian Games gold medalists in Tae Kwon Do added. “It’s not the other fights that were announced.”
Paradigm Sports Management (PSM) 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.”
Del Rosario predicts that the eight-division world champion will defeat the 34-year-old Irish MMA superstar, either via unanimous decision or knockout.
Besides McGregor, Leon Edwards, who recently dethroned UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman with a left roundhouse kick en route to a fifth round technical knockout in UFC 278, is one of the many fighters managed by the PSM.