LAS VEGAS // Manny Pacquiao says he wants a rematch with Timothy Bradley after his controversial points defeat by the American today.
Fans reacted with fury after the surprise decision, which saw just one of the judges give the WBO Welterweight title bout to Pacquiao despite his apparent dominance of the fight.
Afterwards the Filipino favourite said he wanted a rematch against Bradley - and intended to make sure it was finished within the distance.
"I want a rematch," he said.
"That makes me become a warrior in the ring, this coming rematch, because in the rematch my thinking is I don't want to finish the whole 12 rounds."
Fight promoter Bob Arum was outraged by the scoring of judges CJ Ross and Duane Ford, who favoured Bradley 115-113 - but said he did not believe corruption was behind their decision.
"The one thing I refuse to even consider is that there was anything funny going on — betting or anything," Arum said.
"I don't believe that. To the bottom of my bones I don't believe that.
"I know these guys. They're honest. They need to correct their vision, but they're honest."
Pacquiao appeared to land the more damaging blows throughout the contest and CompuBox electronic punch statistics showed Pacquiao connected on 253 punches to Bradley's 159, with a 63-51 advantage in jabs and 190-108 in power punches.
Arum questioned the competence of the judges, the selection process the Nevada State Athletic Commission used to choose them, and the fact that all came from Nevada.
He suggested the commission — which oversees boxing in the state — should make the judges available next week to explain what they saw.
He quipped that he would pay to send them to his eye doctor in Los Angeles, and gave a terse "no comment" when asked if the rematch between Bradley and Pacquiao proposed for November would be in Las Vegas.
Arum said he believed Pacquiao won 10 of the 12 rounds, and that Bradley's manager Cameron Dunkin told him ringside he had scored the bout 8-4 for Pacquiao.
In November, Pacquiao won a controversial decision of his own over Juan Manuel Marquez, but Arum said that at least that fight was close.
"This is nuts," Arum said. "People don't know what they're watching anymore. I'm going to make a lot of money (with a rematch). But who is going to take this sport seriously?"
Bradley said he did not mind the boos that rang out from the pro-Pacquiao crowd when the decision was announced, and he was not about to apologise for adding Pacquiao's WBO welterweight belt to a resume that already included the WBO light welterweight title.
"There's three judges out there," Bradley said. "That's the way they judged it. What do you want me to do? My corner thought I was winning the fight.
"There's three judges out there. Two of them thought I won the fight. That's all I can say about that."
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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