Manny Pacquiao targets January fight announcement as Floyd Mayweather rumours persist

Manny Pacquiao says he will announce his next fight in January as speculation about a rematch with Floyd Mayweather gathers pace.

Pacquiao was a guest speaker at the World Sports Summit at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on Monday where he recounted his rags-to-riches story after being born into extreme poverty in the Philippines.

The 47-year-old, boxing's only eight-division champion, made a return to the ring in the summer after a near four-year absence. As it transpired, he fell just short of becoming the oldest welterweight champion in history but surpassed all expectations with his performance in a draw against the WBC belt holder Mario Barrios.

He has since been linked with several opponents, most notably Mayweather, who beat him on points in an underwhelming but incredibly lucrative 2015 bout.

A source close to Pacquiao told The National they believe negotiations for the rematch are “90 per cent done” with a September date on Netflix being the target.

Pacquiao remained coy when asked about the exact nature of his plans, saying: “I'm excited to go back to the ring to fight in 2026.”

Asked if an announcement was close, he said: “That's a good question. You watch, like this January, we will announce it.

“All I can say is that we will announce in the proper time, just this next month, January,” he added when asked directly if he was set to fight Mayweather for a second time.

World Sports Summit opens in Dubai 01:05

Mayweather has not boxed professionally since his August 2017 victory over UFC star Conor McGregor, but has fought in numerous exhibitions, including against former sparring partner Don Moore in Abu Dhabi in May 2022. He faced YouTuber Deji Olatunji in Dubai later that year.

Pacquiao also admitted there had been talks with Ukraine's Vasiliy Lomachenko, but said: “There was discussion, but Lomachenko is already retired, so he will not fight again.”

On his draw with Barrios, Pacquiao reiterated his belief that he won the fight and said a more active version than the one that entered the ring in July would have taken the decision away from the judges.

“I feel happy to be back in boxing, and I'm just disappointed a little bit because of my last fight, the result of my last fight,” he said.

“I supposedly won, but you know, it's a draw, the judges are experienced, next time.

“I did win that fight but I can do more,” he added. “I can do more if I could have a chance to have more time to train.

“I only had two months training in four years lead-up, so two months is not enough for a world championship.”

Oleksandr Usyk shows off his IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO world heavyweight titles after beating Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2025. Getty Images

Usyk recalls brutal Dubai training camp

Oleksandr Usyk was also among the speakers on Monday as he offered insight into his rise to becoming Olympic and undisputed world cruiserweight and heavyweight champion.

Usyk has performed a victory lap of the heavyweight division, beating British rivals Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice each.

Usyk recalled how he underwent a gruelling camp in Dubai as he prepared for his A