The return of Manny Pacquiao has opened a dangerous door in the combat world. A door from which retired legends can come through if the PacMan is successful in his second innings. Recently, former four-division champion Roy Jones Jr., who is 56, hopped on this train.
While he has not officially announced his comeback, he will be open to one if Pacquiao successfully dethrones Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title. Captain Hook was recently present at the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which inducted PacMan in the 2025 class. During a meet-and-greet segment, Elie Seckbach of ES News asked him for his prediction on Pacquiao’s return.
After getting his comeback forecast, Seckbach pressed Roy Jones Jr. on potential opponents. “I don’t care. Whoever,” the 56-year-old replied. That is when the reporter dropped the bombshell. “You and McGregor?” he asked. While Jones didn’t directly confirm, he issued a sly challenge to Conor McGregor with a grin, saying, “Let’s find out.”
Currently, Conor McGregor is still preparing for his UFC return. He last fought in the octagon in 2021, in a losing effort against Dustin Poirier. While Dana White is still onboard with the Irishman’s return, fans have lost all hope and have slightly moved on. In the meantime, McGregor has tested the waters in boxing, as he was rumored to have an exhibition bout against Logan Paul in India.
And given the fact that Conor McGregor has previously competed inside the boxing ring, facing Floyd Mayweather in a 2017 exhibition bout, this fight won’t be completely out of question. The only question is, why would ‘The Notorious’ put on the gloves when a blockbuster challenge is waiting for him in the UFC?
Conor McGregor’s ultimate challenge
A few weeks ago, one of McGregor’s biggest rivals, Nate Diaz, issued a challenge for a trilogy fight. The duo has gone on wars in the UFC with a 1-1 record, and Diaz wants to settle the score. “I plan on going back to the UFC. Me and Conor for sure got unfinished business. It’s got to happen, I’d like to fight Max Holloway or Ilia Topuria for the BMF,” he stated recently.
This challenge might have faded like earlier ones, with no response from the Irishman. However, fans got a glimmer of hope when the former UFC Featherweight champion posted a carousel of his workout pictures on his Instagram profile. The pictures showed him boxing inside the ring. However, the 36-year-old left it ambiguous with no caption, leaving fans to cook up their own theory.
Many believed that ‘The Notorious’ might be returning to the octagon. However, with his love for boxing and the fat paycheck, Conor McGregor would never deny a fight against Roy Jones Jr. inside the ring.
Currently, these are mere speculations. For McGregor, both paths remain viable, each offering a hefty payday. Which will he pick? Only time will tell. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts down below.
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