By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn is focused on a December 13 showdown with WBO#11 Gary Corcoran in Brisbane but he also targeted UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Horn’s promoter Dean Lonergan has asked McGregor how much money he wants and he’ll try to make it happen. “It would be the easiest fight of my career,” Horn told Grantlee Kieza of the Courier Mail. “If it’s under boxing rules McGregor has no chance.
“I watched McGregor’s fight with Floyd Mayweather (in August) and Floyd wore him down and stopped him even though Floyd hadn’t fought for a couple of years. I would bring a lot more pressure on McGregor right from the opening bell and I hit a lot harder than Floyd too.
“If the fight can be made I’d love it. To bring McGregor to Australia like we did with Manny Pacquiao would be a terrific event. He’s a big name and I think the crowd here would love to see me beat him.”
A Horn-McGregor bout was floated as the Queensland government announced a two-fight sponsorship for the “Fighting Schoolteacher” following their successful partnership to land the world welterweight title blockbuster against Pacquiao on July 2.
Horn says his immediate focus is on Corcoran at the Brisbane Convention Centre on December 13 but the possibility of a return to Suncorp against the Irish UFC fighter could be a huge event in 2018 if a rematch with Pacquiao doesn’t happen.
Horn’s promoter Dean Lonergan said: “We’d love to have Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane again but there has been talk about Jeff against Conor McGregor and it’s a huge fight.”We’re putting the challenge out to McGregor — tell us how much money you want and we’ll see if we can make it happen.”
Last week UFC president Dana White told The Sunday Mail that Horn’s chances of landing the fight with McGregor were “slim to none” — but then no-one thought he would jag a fight with Pacquiao either and look how that turned out.
Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton said of a McGregor fight in Brisbane: “Who knows? It’s possible. If the opportunity is there we would show the world that we can do a better job than Mayweather.”