Another exciting boxing-MMA cross-over match between two superstars in their field is in the works and ONE Championship phenom Lito Adiwang see his countryman victorious within the first half of the bout.
Like every other fight fan in the world, the fifth-ranked strawweight “Thunder Kid” of Team Lakay is excited to see the bout unfold and tags Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao to stop “The Notorious” Conor McGregor within the first six rounds if and when they met sometime early next year.
The Filipino fighting senator recently confirmed his camp had talks with the McGregor camp to put together a boxing spectacle sometime in January.
Adiwang, like many, understands this is a total mismatch in favor of the Filipino megastar. The Team Lakay stalwart believes the fight would end with Pacquiao adding one more prized scalp to his collection.
“I predict Pacquiao will find an opening and take him out in the early rounds. He will finish McGregor early. Once he sees that opening, he will knock McGregor out easily. Pacquiao’s speed will be too much. I see a knockout between the fifth and sixth rounds for Pacquiao. I feel like Pacquiao wants to finish McGregor faster than Mayweather’s round 10 victory over the Irishman a few years ago.”, said Adiwang
McGregor was stopped inside the distance by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his first professional boxing match in 2017.
McGregor put forth a valiant effort against Mayweather, making a stand and boxing fairly well, all things considered. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it to the final bell when Mayweather put the finishing touches on the Irishman in the 10th.
“We saw what happened against Mayweather. There is no doubt McGregor can box but there are levels to this game. He’s a good boxer but the guys who have been doing this all their life like Mayweather, they are legit. To me, Pacquiao is the greatest living legend in boxing. He’s the only boxer in history who has won world championships in eight divisions. I just don’t see any scenario in which McGregor will win this fight.”
While Adiwang regards Pacquiao highly, he still considers McGregor a dangerous, charismatic fighter.
“I have a lot of respect for both fighters. McGregor has proven himself in the world of MMA and became a two-division champion. He has this charisma that makes people watch his every fight. Even though he sometimes has a negative persona, let’s accept the fact that he is still a highly skilled martial artist. He always backs up his talk,” said Adiwang.
Adiwang believes that Pacquiao will try to one-up his long time rival and get McGregor out of there much quicker.
“Yes, McGregor has a strong and powerful left hand that has finished many of his opponents…in MMA. But this is boxing, they use boxing gloves and not small MMA gloves, so that power isn’t the same. And the fact that Pacquiao is one of the best knockout artists in history, even in boxing gloves, that’s scary. He’s faster and he has more experience than McGregor. Even if we say Pacquiao is older now and that McGregor has the youth advantage, the fact is, Pacquiao’s entire life has been about boxing. He has the tools to beat McGregor badly when they fight,”
“Pacquiao beats McGregor in every category. The only thing McGregor has going for him is his youth, but everything else, our people’s champ blows him out of the water.”, he continued.
The “Thunder Kid” maintains he will always be grateful to Pacquiao for the years the Filipino icon dedicated to making his countrymen proud on the global boxing stage. Pacquiao inspired a generation of fighters, including Adiwang himself.
“I remember when I was young, I watched [Pacquiao] knock his opponents out, and the whole country stopped to watch him. Every time he stepped in the ring to fight, he brought pride and honor to the Philippines. He inspired me to dream and one day become like him. I have so much respect and I’m forever grateful to the people’s champion, Manny Pacquiao, for being a shining example and an inspiration to the people, to me,” ended Adiwang.
By Armando M. Bolislis
Photo from ONE Championship