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. 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 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 August 2022 rematch victory over Joshua in Jeddah. “Three years ago, when I prepared for my rematch with Anthony Joshua, I trained here in Dubai. I lived here for six months [through] the summer,” he said. “I do my training [here]. It was Saturday for the bike. [I did] 100 kilometres in three hours and 53 minutes. After this training I am back at my house lying in cold water with ice, sat there, thinking 'What am I doing here, Alex, what am I doing here?' “I speak with myself, my second, my Sacha, not Oleksandr, Sacha, because it's my brother but not my friend. When this guy comes I say 'get out'. I say 'this exercise is helping me'. Sometimes I exercise, I go underwater. My record is four minutes and 41 seconds. This exercise helps me grow and helps me win.” Usyk, 38, now 24-0 as a professional, also described how his analysis of Joshua and Fury started a decade before those bouts came to fruition. “My preparations started 10 years ago, maybe 2014, '15, '16. I look at fights and look for mistakes with attack, a combination. I have a book where I write. “I started preparation for Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury 10 or 11 years ago because I said to a lot of people [back then] that I will box with them.” Usyk last fought in July 2025 when he recorded a fifth-round knockout of Dubois. He is expected to fight again in 2026, with his manager Egis Klimas telling The National a fight against former WBC champion Deontay Wilder is in the works. “It’s very likely [we will see Usyk face Wilder],” said Klimas. “Because right now we're working on it, and we're working on some multi-fight agreement for Oleksandr. “As soon as we're going to confirm that, we're going to jump in. And some talks already are going on with the team of Wilder. We're looking at Las Vegas or Los Angeles, and dates are the end of April, beginning of May. “Wilder is one of the best names [that] Oleksandr didn't face yet. He's still in good shape, and he's still a fighter, so he's interesting. And as well, it's the United States.”

Manny Pacquiao targets January fight announcement as Floyd Mayweather rumours persist

Filipino great set for 2026 ring return, while heavyweight champion Usyk recalls gruelling Dubai training camp

Usyk recalls brutal Dubai training camp

World Sports Summit Day 1 - in pictures