CONOR McGREGOR is set to hold talks in his pub with Eddie Hearn in a bid to secure Katie Taylor’s next fight at Croke Park.
Taylor is set to headline in Ireland for the first time in her career in a rematch on May 20 against Amanda Serrano.
Hearn eyed the 80,000-plus seater Croke Park for the historic occasion but revealed it would cost three times that of Wembley.
So UFC legend McGregor offered to help fund the extra £500,000 fees and will meet with Taylor’s promoter at his Black Forge pub in Dublin on Monday.
Hearn said: “I spoke to him a few times and I will be flying out to see him on Monday at the Black Forge.
“We have been communicating on Twitter messages. I noticed he followed me on Twitter and I saw his tweet that he wants to make Taylor’s Croke Park fight happen.
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“He loves Katie Taylor and he would love to help get it at Croke Park.
“I haven’t given up but there is probably a €600,000-£700,000 deficit of where we need to be. Maybe he can fill that.
“But it’s not a publicity stunt, I think he feels like it would be cool to be a part of that.”
Boxing is set to return to Ireland for the first time since 2014 with the 3Arena the frontrunner to host.
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Taylor, 36, beat Serrano, 34, in their New York thriller at Madison Square Garden last April, for the undisputed lightweight crown.
Serrano moved back down to featherweight to achieve the same feat, beating Erika Cruz, 32, for all four belts.
And it set her up with a rematch against Taylor – both as undisputed champions – which was announced after her win over Cruz.
But the cost of paying the pair of boxing stars means Hearn may be forced into an arena fight opposed to Croke Park stadium, for now.
I spoke to him a few times and I will be flying out to see him on Monday at the Black Forge.
Eddie Hearn on Conor McGregor
He said: “It’s not just a case of Katie deserves it, pay it.
“Because Katie Taylor deserves to get paid and she has a number that she wants to get paid for that fight and so does Amanda Serrano.
“If we do it at Croke Park, we lose money. I’m not doing it. I’m not losing money on a fight like that.
“So what I’m talking to Conor about is potentially bridging that gap but more importantly looking at why the costs are so high, can we overcome them in May, or can we all work together to do the first fight at the 3Arena, and then a September fight at Croke Park.
“Whether that’s Taylor-Serrano 3 or more than likely Chantelle Cameron.
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“Our date is May 20 which is immovable because it’s built around the DAZN schedule.
“So maybe that is at the 3Arena then in September we go to Croke Park.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
