Keith Thurman calls out Conor McGregor

Keith Thurman is currently scheduled to meet Manny Pacquiao in the boxing ring on on July 20, but that’s not stopping him from calling for a fight with one of the biggest stars in all of combat sports: former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor.

Speaking to TMZ, the boxer attempted to coax McGregor away from the Octagon and back in the direction of the boxing ring.

“You know you make more money in the boxing ring anyway,” he said, addressing Conor McGregor. “Box me, Conor!”

Thurman went on, critiquing McGregor’s lone boxing match; a 2017 TKO loss at the hands of undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“[In boxing], the advantage is do you have skills with the left? Do you have skills with the right? Do you have footwork?” he said. “One thing [Conor] doesn’t have is conditioning! He does not have conditioning. He is not ready for these championship fights.

“Floyd walked him down and beat him like he was playing ‘Fight Night!'”

Conor McGregor, of course, is known for his slick hands and fight altering knockout power, but Thurman just isn’t impressed by what he’s seen from the Irish MMA star.

“He wanna talk that trash?! He wants to think actually got hands? Come on, man.”

Keith Thurman will enter his fight with Manny Pacquiao with a flawless 29-0 record. Like McGregor, the 30-year-old American is known for his cracking knockout power, which has earned him the nickname “One Time.”

Conor McGregor, on the other hand, is not scheduled for a fight at present. That being said, he’s recently called for a rematch with his arch rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, who he lost to in October, and has also been called out by former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje. 

The chances of a Conor McGregor vs. Keith Thurman fight actually coming to light seem almost non-existent, but Thurman could certainly increase his chances of landing this matchup if he knocks out Manny Pacquiao in July.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 5/23/2019.