MANILA, Philippines – Former world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is not a very big fan of mixed martial arts (MMA) as he believes it is too brutal.
Pacquiao made the statement in an interview with Time Out Hong Kong, when asked if he was a fan of MMA.
“MMA? No! Only boxing!” said Pacquiao, who laughed after answering. “For me, MMA is good, but I think it’s too dangerous for people, because for me it’s too brutal.”
The Filipino holds nothing against people who watch MMA, however. “Some people like boxing, some people like MMA,” he conceded.
Pacquiao is hoping to boost boxing’s profile in Asia as he is set to fight American Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios on November 24 in Macau, in a bout billed “The Clash in Cotai.”
“It’s good to market boxing in China, because China has a 1.4 billion population. And also, not in China but in the whole of Asia, so it’s not far for people to travel and watch it live,” he said.
Pacquiao expressed his hopes that Macau can become the boxing capital in Asia, just like Las Vegas.
“I believe if we continue this promotion in Macau, it will be like Vegas or more,” he said.
Macau hosted a major fight card for the first time in April, when Chinese Olympian Zou Shiming made his professional debut at the Venetian.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
