Back last month when Manny Pacquiao winked at a possible fight with Conor McGregor, we all just took it with a grain of salt just like Paulie Malignaggi’s constant petition to settle his differences with the Irish MMA Champ Champ. However, it looks like it is more than just talk. The two have entered into negotiations to have a multi-million dollar boxing match in April of 2018. If this goes down, McGregor would most likely vacate his UFC lightweight title in order to make another obscene amount of money.

In the boxing world, reports tonight Manny Pacquiao -39 later this month – has confirmed he’s opened talks to fight Conor McGregor in April next year. — Jim White (@JimWhite) December 8, 2017

“My focus is getting back into the right ring or octagon. 2017 was historic. I have transcended both the sport of MMA and boxing. At this stage of my career, as it has been for the majority of my UFC career, potential opponents must lobby for fights with me. We could see Conor McGregor anywhere. I run the fight game, the fashion game, the whiskey game, or whatever the next business endeavor might be. I have every intention of fighting in 2018 if my compensation and business development endeavors accurately reflect my influence on combat sports.” — Conor McGregor speaking to Betsafe via The MacLife.

If Conor McGregor boxes Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao back-to-back – even if he loses – he could easily make the top of Forbes’ Top 100 Highest Paid Athletes list. While we would all love to see him back in the Octagon, it’s clear that he has other options and is not hiding that fact at all. He said back in the beginning of November that if the UFC wanted him to fight for them, he would need to be a promoter as well as a fighter and have ownership in part of the company. If the UFC doesn’t bend to his demands, they could lose their biggest draw since Brock Lesnar.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 12/8/2017.