Conor McGregor may be preparing for his UFC return, which is rumored to be on July 11 against Max Holloway, however, he has been called out by undefeated UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev for a twelve round boxing match.
Chimaev, who’s preparing for his first middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland on May 9, pitched the matchup as a natural fit for both fighters. McGregor has just boxed once back in 2017, but it was one of the most lucrative pay per views events in history as he fought Floyd Mayweather, losing by stoppage in the tenth round.
Chimaev has no shortage of respect for McGregor’s boxing ability as he credited McGregor’s 13-second knockout over Jose Aldo in December 2015 — and the paycheck that came with it — as the moment that motivated him to pursue MMA.
“I’m not going to move over to boxing. I will be forever a UFC fighter. Maybe if Zuffa [Boxing] gives the chance, box with Conor, or if Conor wants to accept that. It would be nice. Why not? Conor is a good boxer, one of the best boxers in the UFC. It would be nice to try and go fight that guy. Good money, too. He talks better than Sean Strickland. It would be fun. When I saw that fight, I heard about how much he made. That’s why I got motivated to start MMA. It’s cool to see. It would be cool [to box him]. Why should it be personal?,” Chimaev said