Manny Pacquiao’s proposed fight with Conor McGregor will have to jump over a number of hurdles before it can be made.
MMA fighter McGregor is signed to a UFC contract and would need the permission of company president Dana White to go ahead with the fight.
McGregor’s manager Audie Attar - also reportedly Pacquaio’s manager - believes he has that permission.
Speaking to Yahoo Sports, Attar said: “We met with the UFC, and they are on board. We’ve done it once before, and we will do it again.”
The UFC have yet to publicly back that statement. Dana White recently said he had "no idea" what was going on with the fight.
Head of Pacquaio’s company MP Promotions, Sean Gibbons, poured cold water on the idea of any fight going ahead this year because of coronavirus-enforced restrictions on fan attendance.
Gibbons told Yahoo Sports that: “Logic would tell you that with the kind of money the senator is going to command for any fight he takes, there would have to be some fans in the stands.
“It’s the same with [Deontay] Wilder and [Tyson] Fury and Anthony Joshua. You need crowds to generate the kind of money it takes to put on an event like that.”
Gibbons did not rule out any particular fight but suggested that given Pacquaio is now 42, he will not be looking for any major fights in the future.
“The senator is long past the point of having to prove anything," he said. “He’s in his 26th year and with what he’s done, it’s enough to get him in the Hall of Fame 10 times over. He wants to give the fans what they want.
“Let’s be honest, here: At this stage, there is nothing he could do to top what he’s already done. What does it mean to him now to beat the best welterweights out there? Been there, done that. At this point, Manny is on a sort of a victory lap, and he’ll let the fans speak and then make a decision.”