Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao II
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| Date | September 26, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | TBA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao II is an upcoming professional boxing match contested between five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. The bout is scheduled to take place on September 26, 2026.
They had previously met in 2015, where Mayweather won by unanimous decision.
Background and buildup
[edit]Previous fights
[edit]Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have previously fought each other in the Fight of the Century match on May 2, 2015. The upcoming rematch will see both boxers in their late-40s.[1]
Mayweather's last professional match was against Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Conor McGregor in August 2017 before announcing his latest retirement. He has since fought in eight exhibition matches including the one with Logan Paul.[2] In the lead up to Mayweather's upcoming exhibition match against Mike Tyson in the Congo in April 2026 (which was later postponed), Mayweather announced on February 20 his return to professional boxing for at least one official match.[3]
Pacquiao retired in 2022 after failing to win the WBA welterweight title from Yordenis Ugas. He fought in two exhibition matches in between a failed launched a presidential bid in 2022 and to get re-elected as Senator in the May 2025 election.[2] Pacquiao then came out of retirement to fight Mario Barrios on July 20 for the WBC welterweight belt. The fight ended in a majority draw. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Ruslan Provodnikov in an exhibition match on April 8, 2026.[1]
Match details
[edit]The rematch fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao was announced on February 23, 2026, by Netflix.[4][5] Netflix will livestream the event.[6] The match will be held at the Sphere in Paradise, Nevada and will be the first ever professional boxing match in the venue.[7] It will be co-promoted by MP Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in partnership with CSI Sports/Fight Sports.[8] The scheduled fight was clarified to be official and not be an exhibition match meaning that Pacquiao could potentially break Mayweather's undefeated record.[2] On April 30, it was reported that the event would no longer take place at the Sphere, but instead take place at another venue in Las Vegas.[9] A week later the date was pushed back, a week later, to September 26, 2026.[10] On May 7, Mayweather held a press conference to promote his upcoming exhibition against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis, scheduled for June 27. He also responded to the negative media coverage regarding his financial status, stating that he was not in financial trouble, despite ongoing lawsuits. He suggested a deal with Pacquiao might be finalized within 48 hours.[11]
Mayweather's claim of an exhibition match
[edit]On March 28, Mayweather spoke to Vegas Sports Today. He stated that the fight’s exact location was undecided, despite the Sphere venue being mentioned as a possibility. Nothing was confirmed. Mayweather then claimed the fight was an exhibition and not a professional bout, as previously stated.[12][13] On April 2, Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, stated that the fight was never discussed as an exhibition since negotiations began. He stated that Mayweather's statements contradicted the contract with Manny Pacquiao Promotions, Netflix, and MSG. The parties involved were surprised and displeased by Mayweather’s position. Pacquiao was keen on a legitimate professional rematch, not an exhibition. According to Mathur, Mayweather had already accepted cash advances and a significant loan based on a professional fight contract. Mathur also stated that Mayweather had to provide written confirmation of intent to fulfil the contract by the end of the day.[14]
In April, it was reported that Mayweather could incur a 9-figure loss if he canceled the rematch.[15] Pacquiao's team also claimed that another exhibition match between Floyd Mayweather and Mike Zambidis to take place in Greece was a breach of contract. Pacquiao insisted that he would only sign a contract after Mayweather signed first. Pacquiao also assured that alternatives would be explored should Mayweather withdraw, with backup plans featuring other boxers.[16] Pacquiao announced later in the month that Mayweather formally agreed that the rematch would be a professional match, and that Mayweather's undefeated record would be on the line.[17]
Reception to the planned match
[edit]British hall of fame promoter Frank Warren was disinterested about the announcement of the fight. He stated that he had no enthusiasm for watching two older fighters compete again, meaning it lacked legitimacy, comparing it to his lack of interest in the professional bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. He said, “I have no interest in a 47-year-old fighting a 49-year-old.” He also hoped the bout would not be sanctioned by any official governing bodies.[18]
Fight card
[edit]| Weight class | vs | Method | Round | Time | Notes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Card | |||||||||||
| Welterweight | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | vs. | Manny Pacquiao | – (12) | |||||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Approaching 50, Pacquiao, Mayweather face off in Netflix-staged rematch". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ a b c Ramos, Gerry (February 25, 2026). "Manny Pacquiao says 'May-Pac 2' won't be an exhibition match". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ "Floyd Mayweather to come out of retirement". The Philippine Star. Agence France-Presse. February 21, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
- ^ Akers, Mick (February 23, 2026). "Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 set for 1st boxing match at Sphere". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ Desai, Darshan (February 23, 2026). "Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao 2 set for Netflix rematch, 11 years after record-setting mega-fight". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 23, 2026). "Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao Set for Boxing Rematch Live on Netflix in September". Variety. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ "The First-Ever Professional Boxing Match Debuts at the Las Vegas Sphere — Who Takes It Home?". Yahoo Sports. February 24, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ "What to know about Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao rematch". ESPN.com. February 24, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
- ^ "Mayweather-Pacquiao II moving out of Sphere, to remain in Las Vegas". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ^ "Floyd Mayweather Jnr-Manny Pacquiao II gets a new date: September 26". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ Akopyan, Manouk (May 8, 2026). "Mayweather says Pacquiao deal almost done, not struggling financially". The Ring. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ "Floyd Mayweather Jnr: Manny Pacquaio rematch will be an exhibition". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ "Floyd Mayweather pumps brakes on rematch with Manny Pacquiao". ESPN.com. March 29, 2026. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ^ "Floyd Mayweather Jnr has Thursday deadline to rectify Pacquiao rematch breach". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ Staff (April 4, 2026). "Mayweather Faces Nine Figure Damages Over Pacquiao Rematch Breach". BoxingInsider.com. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ^ "Manny Pacquiao prods Floyd Mayweather to commit to fight, to avoid 'problems'". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ^ Pugmire, Lance (April 15, 2025). "Manny Pacquiao on Floyd Mayweather Jnr rematch: 'The fight is on'". Boxing Scene. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
- ^ Christ, Scott (February 25, 2026). "'They shouldn't be doing it': Frank Warren on Mayweather vs Pacquiao rematch". Bad Left Hook, Global Boxing News and Commentary. Retrieved February 26, 2026.