Rory McIlroy shoots down talk of potential career change: "Absolutely not"

Rory McIlroy had an amazing 2025 season and has no plans to hang up the boots anytime soon. In a recent interview, the career Grand Slam winner also dismissed talk of a potential career change.

On December 19, McIlroy was among the star-studded lineup that attended the Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight. While he was in attendance, the five-time major champion was asked by BBC Sport if he would ever try boxing, and the golfer had an instant response.

"No. Absolutely not. I'm very happy to play golf for a living. I don't want to take punches for a living," he said.

Take a look at the full clip by BBC Sport on Instagram:

Rory McIlroy made a successful prediction about the outcome of Jake and Joshua's boxing match before the bout started. The 36-year-old pro also gave a short analysis and stated his pick for the winner.

"...I'm a big fight fan and I just can't see any other result than an early knockout by Joshua...," he said.

When the reporter responded and teased that Rory McIlroy might be a boxing analyst afterwards, the Career Grand Slam winner humbly declined.

"...I'll stick to my day job. Thank you so much, have fun," he added.

Rory McIlroy watched Joshua pick up the win after knocking out Paul in the sixth round in front of the crowd at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The PGA Tour veteran's claim of being a big fight fan came after he traveled to the US to watch the fight after he won the 2025 BBC SPOTY award in the UK. Although he has no plans to switch careers, McIlroy has expressed his love for boxing in the past as well.

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When Rory McIlroy watched a late-night boxing match before his first PGA Tour victory

McIlroy played in and won the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship, now called the Truist Championship. Before the 2025 PGA Championship commenced at Quail Hollow, Rory McIlroy reminisced about his maiden Tour title win at the venue.

He also revealed that he watched a boxing match late at night and stated (via ASAP Sports):

"I remember on the Saturday night there was a big boxing fight on. It was like Manny Pacquiao or might have been maybe Floyd Mayweather..." "I remember getting to bed at like 2 a.m. I woke up the next day, playing with Anthony Kim, and I went out and played one of the rounds of my life and won my first PGA Tour event," he added.

McIlroy won the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship, edging out Phil Mickelson with a four-stroke margin. The two-time PGA Championship winner's past statements have also reflected his interest in attending boxing matches.

While speaking to Sky Sports in April, McIlroy revealed that the fight between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao was the first fight he ever attended. The golfer further labeled it as the "best sporting atmosphere" he had ever been in.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar