NOW that Senator Manny Pacquiao has renewed his ties with Paradigm Sports Management (PSM), the possibility of the eight-division world champion facing Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Conor McGregor atop the ring sooner or soon gained more ground.
Pacquiao’s legal consultant Atty. Brando Viernesto told BusinessMirror on Monday that the partnership was a big step toward making the fight an absolute reality.
“Of course, the signing of the contract will make the fight closer to becoming a reality because they are now under the same company,” said Viernesto, who flew to General Santos City and back to Manila on the same day on Sunday on a rented private plane to relay the contract to the senator.
The signed contract also strengthened Pacquiao’s plan to donate some of the proceeds of his potential showdown with McGregor to Filipino victims of Covid-19.
That plan was first announced by Pacquiao’s special assistant Jayke Joson to BusinessMirror late last month.
“Although the contract with Paradigm is a partnership and it’s not legally a management contract, the mega fight is now closer to happening [since] they [Paradigm] also are handling McGregor,” explained Viernesto, noting the fight contract will be just a matter of time next year.
“That’s [fight contract] our target next year, if that happens, because there are some details to be ironed out like fight weight and the proper decorum during and before the fight,” he said. “Nobody just can’t curse the senator.”
Before the pandemic last February, Pacquiao and Paradirm entered into a managerial contract but was soon waived, according to Viernesto.
“It was just a thing of the past, so they have to renew their partnership into a much solid and firm agreement,” he said.
The potential Pacquiao-McGregor fight could be staged in Dubai.