Philippine boxing champion Manny Pacquiao will face former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor in the ring next year, and part of proceeds from the fight will go to coronavirus victims in his country, his office said on Saturday. Both fighters are “getting ready for this one epic last boxing fight,” said Jayke Joson, special assistant to Pacquiao, who is also a Philippine senator. Joson’s statement followed a tweet by Irishman McGregor in which he said that he would be “boxing Pacquiao next in the Middle East”. McGregor announced on Twitter in June that he was retiring from the sport for the third time. The Philippines has the most confirmed Covid-19 infections in Southeast Asia and the region’s second highest number of coronavirus deaths, next to Indonesia.

Source: The Irish Times September 26, 2020 12:32 UTC