Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has been ordered to pay $5.1 million to Paradigm Sports for breach of contract, with an additional $2 million in attorney fees.
Conor McGregor and his legal team have been successful in their efforts to secure financial compensation from those they’ve taken to court. On Wednesday, it was reported that Paradigm Sports, the agency that represents McGregor, won a legal battle against boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao. A judge ruled that Pacquiao was in breach of contract following recent bout negotiations between Paradigm and Pacquiao falling through, leading to an order for the 44-year-old to pay $5.1 million to Paradigm, as well as at least $2 million in attorney fees.
McGregor addressed the verdict Wednesday evening in a since-deleted tweet, discussing the Pacquiao verdict before threatening former friend-turned-nemesis Artem Lobov. McGregor has also been involved in legal proceedings with Lobov recently, with a judge having denied Lobov an injunction to prevent McGregor from talking negatively about him on social media. McGregor publicly insulted Lobov multiple times after Lobov sued him over what he perceives to be unpaid profits from McGregor’s Proper No. 12 whiskey brand. Lobov claims he was a key contributor to the foundation of the brand, which had its controlling interests sold to Proximo Spirits in 2021 for a reported $600 million.
The relationship between the two fighters has deteriorated significantly, with McGregor helping to usher Lobov to prominence when the Russian fighter was featured as part of McGregor’s team on season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter. Following Lobov filing the Proper No. 12 lawsuit, McGregor called Lobov a “rat” and an “uncooked sausage of a thing,” which prompted Lobov’s attempt at an injunction. As for Pacquiao, the $5.1 million ruling breaks down into Paradigm having to be repaid $3.3 million for an advance that was paid to Pacquiao in anticipation of a February 2020 bout with Mikey Garcia that never materialized, and an additional $1.8 million in damages. Paradigm accused Pacquiao’s business associates of interfering in the Pacquiao-Garcia negotiations, resulting in Pacquiao signing with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions and Garcia parting ways with Paradigm. McGregor acknowledged Pacquiao’s greatness on Twitter, but insisted that the legendary fighter still needs to pay up.