Manny Pacquiao is set to come out of retirement for the second time, with a welterweight bout against Conor Benn on the cards.

The Filipino, who announced he was quitting the sport once again in August 2021, looks poised to be the opponent for the Briton's comeback bout.

Benn, who saw a fight with Chris Eubank Jr postponed after he tested positive for a banned substance in October, was reinstated to the WBC rankings earlier this year.

Now Pacquiao, who stepped back after a defeat to Yordenis Ugas in order to run for the Philippines presidency in last year's election, could be his return opponent, per his promoter Sean Gibbobs.

"He retired for a minute to run for President of the Philippines, where he took a respectful third place," he told ESPN. 

"After that he felt that his retirement was due to running for president, and now that [he wasn't elected], he wants to fight again and feels like he can do it at the highest level.

"Manny is an all-time great and he feels like he still has a lot of fight left in him and he still wants to compete at the highest level.

"This fight [against Benn] was presented to him by [promoter] Eddie Hearn, and he agreed. [The] ball is in Eddie Hearn's court [but] Pacquiao ready to go."

Widely considered one of the sport's all-time great fighters, Pacquiao held world titles in eight different weight divisions across a 72-fight career, with a 62-8-2 winning record.

He briefly retired in 2016, but returned that same year with a win over Jessie Vargas, and would present a starry opponent for Benn's first fight since April last year.

The Briton remains barred by the British Boxing Board of Control to fight on home soil, with his likely comeback match set to be pencilled in for June 3 in Abu Dhabi.

Hearn acknowledged there were other options for the fight though, adding: "We are in the process of selecting Conor Benn's next opponent and have been in active talks with Manny Pacquiao's team.

"We have had multiple site offers to stage the event and are looking to make an official announcement on Conor's next fight as early as next week."

Floyd Mayweather has revealed plans for an exhibition bout in the United Kingdom in February.

Mayweather retired from professional boxing in 2017, but has since taken part in exhibition fights in places such as Japan, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The 45-year-old has never fought in the UK, but that should change within the coming weeks.

"A bout is planned in the UK for 2023," Mayweather told the Sunday Telegraph. 

"In February we're looking forward to coming here and putting on an exhibition for the fans in the UK, because I've never had a chance to come over here and fight when I was actively boxing as a professional.

"So hopefully in February I'll come over and do an exhibition if it's possible."

Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather's long-time rival, also announced on Saturday he will be taking part in exhibitions in Japan in 2023.

"I have agreed with Rizin [promotional company] to fight next year," Pacquiao said during an in-ring presentation. 

"The date will soon be announced and also my opponent that Rizin will choose. I'm open to and excited to fight a Japanese fighter."

Manny Pacquiao hailed Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez as the "pound-for-pound king" after the Mexican beat Caleb Plant to become the first undisputed world super middleweight champion.

Canelo knocked out previously unbeaten IBF champion Plant in the 11th round of their blockbuster showdown in Las Vegas on Saturday to cement his place in the record books.

The 31-year-old added Plant's belt to the WBA Super, WBC an WBO titles he already held, a clean sweep that has never before been achieved by a Mexican boxer.

He is just the sixth fighter since the WBO began sanctioning world title bouts in 1988 to hold all four of the belts.

Pacquiao won world titles across eight weight classes during his career and was among those to salute Canelo, who is now 57-1-2 on the back of a largely one-sided contest.

"Congratulations to the pound-for-pound king, Canelo, on making boxing history as the first undisputed super middleweight champion ever," Pacquiao posted on Twitter. 

"Plant put up a great fight but Canelo is just too good. Boxing is in great hands."

Canelo went on the offensive from the off at MGM Grand and wore down Plant before brutally stopping his opponent with one minute and five seconds of the 11th round remaining.

It was Canelo's third stoppage win of 2021 as he further cemented his status as a boxing great.

WBC Interim world lightweight champion Joseph Diaz said: "What a fight, Canelo always closes! Respect to both fighters. 

"Plant put on a great fight. We're witnessing true greatness what Canelo is doing in his career." 

Plant more than held his own in the early rounds and was embraced in the ring by Canelo at the end of the fight.

That was in stark contrast to two months ago when the pair were involved in a physical altercation during a media conference to announce the fight.

Canelo revealed at the time the scuffle was down to a comment made by Plant regarding his mother, but he is nevertheless full of respect for his opponent.

"We don't have to take anything away from Caleb Plant. He's a great fighter and he made a great effort tonight," he said at his post-fight news conference.

"But in the end we came out with the win. That's all that matters really. So even though we had that frustration in the first five rounds the second half of the fight was ideal.

"He told me afterwards that he wanted to keep fighting and he also wanted to apologise to me and he didn't mean what he said about my mum. He was truly sorry about that. 

"I told him: 'Look, it's OK. It's water under the bridge.' I told him he was a great man and also that some day I hope he will have a great family as well. 

"I can only wish the best for him. In the fight we have to hurt each other but, in the end, we're all human and we want the best for each other."

Manny Pacquiao will go down as one of the greatest fighters of all time and newly crowned world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk possesses a similar skillset, says Joseph Parker.

Pacquiao's decorated boxing career has come to an end, with the sport's only eight-division world champion announcing his retirement.

His decision came under a month after his unanimous points loss to Yordenis Ugas for the WBA super welterweight title.

The 42-year-old had made his boxing return against Ugas for the first time since July 2019, but the Filipino's comeback did not go according to plan in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, who has declared his candidacy in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, retires with a record of 62 wins (39 knockouts), eight losses and two draws.

Heavyweight contender Parker, who was speaking prior to the formal announcement from Pacquiao, suggested he did not want to see one of the best boxers in history fight on. 

He also thinks Usyk, who has just been crowned WBA, WBO and IBF champion after defeating Anthony Joshua, possesses some of the same traits.

"I feel like he's going to go down as one of the best of all time," New Zealander Parker said to Stats Perform.

"It is quite hard to see someone like Pacquiao to continue to fight when he had this great legacy and great career. 

"And now he can still beat a lot of guys but it is hard to see someone who is not in his prime. They keep fighting and let these guys get the better of them."

Describing what makes Pacquiao special, Parker added: "I feel like he is similar to [Usyk]; his movement, his footwork; he's very quick on his feet and also the volume of punches that he throws. 

"He throws a lot of punches and combinations. 

"And I feel like it's really hard to fight someone like Pacquiao when he's trying throwing all these punches and the movement that he presents.

"His legacy? The eight-time division champion - just the achievement of that and a lot of a lot of young fighters look up to him. 

"You have to say that he's going to go down in history and he's going to always be talked about, as an eight-time division world champion. 

"And he can give a lot back to the sport by teaching the [young] fighters, signing other fighters and just being involved as a manager or promoter, as he knows the game and set up.

"My favourite Pacquiao fight? I really like the fight against Ricky Hatton. Just the timing and precision of when he landed the big shot to finish the fight. 

"Hatton is a beast himself and has had a great career, but when you’re in the ring with Manny Pacquiao it’s a different story."

Manny Pacquiao's decorated boxing career has come to an end, the sport's only eight-division world champion announcing his retirement.

Pacquiao called time on his career inside the ring a month after his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas for the WBA super welterweight title.

The 42-year-old had made his boxing return against Ugas for the first time since July 2019, but the Filipino great's comeback did not go according to plan in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, who has declared his candidacy in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, retires with a record of 62 wins (39 knockouts), eight losses and two draws.

Regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Pacquiao – the first fighter to win major world titles in four of the eight glamour divisions; flyweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight – is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

"It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today, I am announcing my retirement," Pacquiao said in a video on his Facebook page, having scored wins over the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto during his storied career.

"Wow... I never thought that this day would come. As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao."

Pacquiao, who made his professional debut aged 16, said: "You gave me the chance to fight our way out of poverty. Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world. Because of you, I have been given the courage to change more lives. I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life, I can't imagine.

"I just heard the final bell. Tapos na ang boksing [boxing is done]. Maraming, maraming salamat po [thank you very much]. God is good all the time.

"I was given the opportunity of representing the Philippines, bringing fame and honour to my country every time I entered the ring. I am grateful for all my accomplishments and the opportunity to inspire the fans."

 

Manny Pacquiao has declared his boxing career is over although the head of his promotional team moved to dispel retirement talk.

The 42-year-old southpaw lost to Yordenis Ugas last month, with many predicting that would end up being his last fight.

Pacquiao had on Sunday announced his intention to run for the Philippines presidency next year.

The former eight-weight world champion told Toni Talks that he is done with boxing.

"My boxing career is already over," Pacquiao said.

"It's done because I've been in boxing for a long time and my family says that it is enough."

However, Pacquiao's head of promotions Sean Gibbons moved to water down any retirement talk just yet.

"The Senator is a presidential candidate and has made no decision on his boxing career yet," Gibbons told Yahoo Sports.

"He will in the next few weeks make a final decision whether to have one more or retire."

Pacquiao had not fought competitively for more than two years prior to last month's WBA welterweight defeat to Ugas.

The Filipino has a 62-8-2 professional boxing record, with 39 wins by knockout.

Have we seen Manny Pacquiao fight for the final time?

The Filipino legend announced he will rest, relax and reconsider his future plans after surprisingly losing to Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas. Time, however, is not on Pacquiao's side.

The eight-division world champion, who had been due to fight Errol Spence Jr but instead faced a late stand-in, turns 43 in December. It may well be the end of the road for one of boxing's biggest superstars who, after 72 bouts and numerous titles, has little left to achieve between the ropes.

He has demonstrated age is just a number in recent years, producing some outstanding wins ever since losing in the 'fight of the century' against long-time rival Floyd Mayweather Jr in May 2015.

If it is all over, Pacquiao bows out as one of the all-time greats, an undoubted national hero who continued to produce when so many thought his best days were long behind him.


THE LAST HURRAH...OR NOT

Nearly a year after the long-overdue Mayweather fight, Pacquiao returned to action to face a familiar foe in what he claimed beforehand would be his boxing swansong.

"I'm so happy to be hanging up the gloves after this fight because of what I have done," he told the media ahead of facing Timothy Bradley for a third time. "I'm sure I will be sad after that fight. That's life."

Pac-Man had his eyes on becoming a senator in the Philippines at the time, but did not look beyond Bradley, who had won their first meeting via a controversial split-decision verdict, back in 2012.

Pacquiao had prevailed in a 2014 rematch and would also come out on top in the final episode of the trilogy, dropping his opponent twice on his way to a points triumph.  

That was meant to be that, according to the man himself, except before the end of 2016 he was back in action again. Jessie Vargas was no match as Mayweather watched his former opponent from close quarters at ringside, adding fuel to talk of a rematch.

Victory secured the WBO welterweight title for Pacquiao, who demonstrated that despite being just shy of his 38th birthday, he still had plenty left to give. "He's not done fighting yet," said trainer Freddie Roach – and he was right.
 

AN ALMIGHTY UPSET

Jeff Horn was due to be nothing more than a stepping-stone to bigger things. The Australian nearly missed his big opportunity – Pacquiao at one point seemed set to face former gym-mate Amir Khan instead – but had the benefit of home advantage. It was about all most experts felt the underdog had going in his favour ahead of the bout in Brisbane.

However, Suncorp Stadium witnessed the mother of all upsets in July 2017, in part thanks to some questionable scoring.

Horn did more than just surpass pre-fight expectations just by making it to the final bell, though. He showed a willingness to stand and trade with a legendary name, as well as coming through a ninth-round storm that looked at one stage certain to sweep him away.

He finished strongly too, but it was still a surprise to most when the challenger was declared a unanimous winner on all three cards. The verdict raised questions over the judges' scoring, as well as Pacquiao's future in the sport.

The WBO conducted a review into the outcome at the behest of the Philippines government, but a secondary check only vindicated the original outcome. Was Pacquiao done?

Manny Pacquiao's return to the ring has ended in a unanimous resolution defeat to Yordenis Ugas in their world welterweight title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The 42-year-old Filipino was making his return to boxing for the first time since beating Keith Thurman in July 2019, going in as favourite against Ugas, who is seven years younger.

The Cuban, who took the fight on 11 days' notice following Errol Spence Jr's withdrawal due to an eye injury, used his jab wisely along with his agility and counter game.

Pacquiao appeared to lack his trademark speed and power while Ugas ensured he owned the middle of the ring early.

Ugas was awarded the unanimous decision victory 115-113, 116-112, 116-112 to defend the welterweight title which the World Boxing Association stripped from Pacquiao for "inactivity" earlier this year.

The victory improved Ugas' professional record to 27-4, while Pacquiao slips to 62-2-8, prompting discussion about his future in boxing given his age.

"I don’t know," Pacquiao said when asked about retiring after the fight. "Let me rest first and relax and make a decision if I continue to fight."

Pacquiao's work rate increased as the fight wore on, throwing better punches as the Cuban remained disciplined with his tactics.

Ugas' pinpoint right-hand hits troubled the Filipino throughout and he closed the fight strongly after a wild 10th round.

"It was a hard time, making an adjustment about his style and I think that was the problem for me because I didn’t make an adjustment," Pacquiao said.

"I congratulate my opponent Yordenis Ugas for making it tough tonight and winning tonight. That's boxing."

The fight was relatively even but Ugas insisted he deserved the win.

"A lot of respect for him, but I won the fight," Ugas said.

Manny Pacquiao is a man on a mission as he attempts to reclaim the WBA 'super' welterweight belt he was riled to relinquish.

The Filipino superstar tackles Cuban defector Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas in a title bout on Saturday night, gently teasing it might be his last fight.

That seems unlikely, given the 42-year-old expressed such an obvious hunger for more success in the pre-fight news conference.

But Pacquiao might have to think seriously about his future should Ugas spring a huge surprise after being called into the main event at late notice.

Pacquiao was meant to face Errol Spence Jr, but the American withdrew from the bout with a torn retina in his left eye.

Spence's stand-in Ugas was promoted to be recognised as the WBA's champion when Pacquiao was controversially stripped of his title in January, relegated to champion-in-recess status due to inactivity.

Now raring to go, two years since he last fought, with COVID-19 pandemic factors largely the cause of his absence, Pacquiao said he "felt bad" about Spence's setback.

"But it's a good thing that Ugas wanted to challenge me in the ring, and a good thing we can settle the dispute about the WBA belt. It will be good for us to talk in the ring, settle down in the ring on Saturday," Pacquiao told a news conference.

"I feel young. I'm just happy doing this. Boxing is my passion and I'm enjoying doing the training camp and excited to undergo the sacrifices and discipline especially to prepare for a fight like this.

"The coaching staff were trying to stop me, because I wanted to do more but they told me I might get over-trained."

Speaking at Friday's weigh-in, Pacquiao added: "I don't want to be taking this fight lightly. I don't want to be over-confident for this fight, but I want to make sure that tomorrow night we get a victory. I will do my best. I will give my best for my fans and of course the honour of my country."

Ugas, who won a bronze medal for Cuba at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, majorly troubled Shawn Porter in a WBC title fight in March 2019, and he wants to show there is merit in him owning the WBA belt.

Pacquiao feels disenchanted by the WBA's decision, saying it was "not good" that he had been stripped of that title out of the ring.

"Let's see if he will get the belt on Saturday. Both of us are champions," Pacquiao said this week. "It might be my last fight or there's more, one at a time. That's my answer to the question of whether it's my last fight."

Ahead of the tussle as the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Ugas said: "This has been a long road for me. It's a short-notice fight but I'm thankful for this opportunity and I'm ready.

"I have come to prepare for 12 hard rounds. If this is the final fight that the legend Manny Pacquiao has, [I want to show] that he fought against a guy who brought his best and who is a world-class fighter."

RECENT HISTORY

Pacquiao has had a busy time of it, but not so much in the boxing ring. The coronavirus crisis has kept him occupied in his day job as a senator in the Philippines, where some expect him to make a bid to become president next year, a move that would surely end his boxing career. Pacquiao has made allegations of corruption in government, which have been denied, as he pulls no punches in his second career.

'PacMan' last fought against Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand in July 2019, where Ugas won on the undercard. Ugas has since had a seventh-round stoppage win over Mike Dallas Jr and a split-decision victory against Abel Ramos.

TALE OF THE TAPE

MANNY PACQUIAO

Age: 42
Height: 5ft 5.5ins (166cm) 
Weight: 146 lbs
Reach: 67 ins
Professional record: 62-7-2 (39 KOs) 
Major career titles: Eight-division world champion

YORDENIS UGAS

Age: 35
Height: 5ft 9ins (175cm) 
Weight: 147 lbs
Reach: 69 ins
Professional record: 26-4 (12 KOs) 
Major career titles: Holder of WBA 'super' welterweight belt

Errol Spence Jr has been ruled out of his fight with Manny Pacquiao on August 21 due to an eye injury.

Welterweight Spence had been due to defend his IBF and WBC titles against the 42-year-old Pacquiao, who has not fought since beating Keith Thurman to become WBA champion in July 2019.

That victory made 'Pac-Man' the first four-time champion at the weight limit, though he was knocked down to champion in recess by the WBA due to inactivity.

While Pacquiao will not be fighting his planned opponent later this month, he will still be in action on the Las Vegas bill.

The Filipino will instead take on Yordenis Ugas, who had originally been scheduled to defend his WBA belt against Fabian Maidana as part of the undercard.

Spence marked his comeback following injuries sustained in a car crash with an impressive victory over Danny Garcia last year, but his career is once again on hold.

The 31-year-old - nicknamed 'The Truth' - has suffered a retinal tear in his left eye, forcing him to pull out of the much-anticipated showdown.

"Went to three different doctors all said the same thing I'll be back for the winner for sure," Spence tweeted.

He followed up with "I came back from worse" in a further post, appearing to reference the vehicle accident in October 2019 that left him in intensive care.

Spence made clear on Twitter he is already planning to take on the Pacquiao-Ugas winner once he is cleared to return to action.

"I pray for a full and complete recovery for Errol Spence Jr," Pacquiao tweeted following the change.

Manny Pacquiao is set to return to the ring after an absence of more than two years in a welterweight title showdown with unbeaten Errol Spence Jr. 

Pacquiao and Spence announced the fight on social media Friday. It is set to take place on August 21 in Las Vegas, but the venue has not been determined. 

Spence (27-0) will put his WBC and IBF welterweight straps on the line against the 42-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2), whose last fight was a July 2019 split decision win against Keith Thurman. 

Pacquiao's win made him the first four-time welterweight champion, but he was stripped of that WBA strap in January due to inactivity. 

The 31-year-old American Spence has successfully defended his IBF belt five times since winning it in May 2017 with a knockout of Kell Brook.

He added the WBC title with a split decision over Shawn Porter in September 2019, but did not fight for more than a year due in part to injuries suffered in an automobile accident the following month. 

Spence returned to the ring with a unanimous decision win over Danny Garcia last December. 

Ryan Garcia appeared to confirm a fight against Manny Pacquiao, saying it would be "a dream turned reality".

Garcia (21-0) was reported to be in talks for a bout against Filipino great Pacquiao (62-7-2).

The American seemed to confirm that fight was going ahead in an Instagram post on Sunday.

"A dream turned reality," Garcia wrote.

"It's an honour to share the ring with @mannypacquiao. I will always respect what you did in and out the ring.

"Here's to the best man winning."

Garcia fought on January 2, beating Luke Campbell to win the interim WBC lightweight title.

Pacquiao, 42, was last in action in July 2019 in a split-decision victory over Keith Thurman to win the WBA welterweight crown.

Floyd Mayweather Jr does not think anyone wants to see Conor McGregor return to boxing to face Manny Pacquiao following the Irishman's defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on Sunday.

Poirier became the first man to knockout McGregor in mixed martial arts with a string of punches to the head during the second round of their lightweight bout in Abu Dhabi.

It was the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion's first fight in a year and his second since being submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.

His bout with Nurmagomedov came after he switched to boxing to take on former five-division champion Mayweather, who came out of retirement and put his 49-0 record on the line.

Mayweather triumphed over McGregor by TKO in round 10, but the Irishman has been linked with a return to the ring to face Pacquiao – an eight-division champion and the WBA welterweight title holder.

However, it has been reported Pacquiao is closing in on an agreement with Ryan Garcia and McGregor's loss to Poirier will have done his chances of facing the Filipino no good.

Mayweather likened the prospect of Pacquiao, who he defeated by unanimous decision in their long-awaited welterweight bout in 2015, taking on McGregor as "my leftovers eating leftovers".

Sharing an image of a post asking why Mayweather is hated for the way he carries himself, but McGregor is loved for acting in the same manner, he wrote: "I seen this post and my take on it is that the world knows Con Artist McLoser can steal everything from me and be loved but I'm hated. That just lets you all know that racism still exist.

"Just know, that bum will never be me or be on my level. I'm just built different, my mindset is on another planet, my skills are second to none, I'm a natural born winner and yes I talk a lot of trash, but every time I back it up! This is what they hate.

"It's sad that you can be a poor black kid from the ghetto that has dealt with racism your whole life and work extremely hard to put yourself and your family in a better position, and most of the hate comes from my own people.

"Conor cannot even win in his own sport, but talking about coming back to boxing to fight Pacquiao. Nobody wants to see that, it's like my leftovers eating leftovers."

Prior to his fight with Poirier, McGregor said he was committed to a prolonged stint in the UFC's lightweight division.

Despite his loss, the 32-year-old said he feels there are still plenty of match-ups in the Octagon that interest him.

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