UPDATE 1-Boxing-Pacquiao, mixed martial arts star McGregor to fight in 2021

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MANILA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - 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".
"We don't deny it," Joson said of the former UFC
featherweight and lightweight champ's tweet.
McGregor announced on Twitter in June that he was retiring
from the sport for the third time. He first quit in April 2016.
In March 2019, he again announced he was hanging up his gloves,
but on both occasions the retirements were short-lived.
Negotiation between the two camps "is now starting to move
on", Joson said, adding a "huge portion" of Pacquiao's earnings
would go to those who were affected by the pandemic.
Total confirmed coronavirus cases in the Philippines
surpassed 300,000 on Saturday, while deaths rose to 5,284.
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.
The 41-year-old Pacquiao, whose speed and power belie his
age, is the only man in boxing history to hold world titles in
eight different divisions.
He defeated Keith Thurman to win the WBA Welterweight Super
Championship in July, taking his record to 62-7-2 with 39
knockouts. McGregor has only fought once in professional boxing,
suffering a 10th-round technical knockout loss to Floyd
Mayweather at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a lucrative
bout that took place in August 2017.
Despite his limited experience in the boxing ring, McGregor,
a former two-weight UFC champion, told Reuters in November 2017
that the Mayweather fight earned him 140 million dollars.