Mayweather to fight Pacquiao in Las Vegas in September

LOS ANGELES (United States) (AFP) – Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will meet in a long-awaited rematch of the highest-grossing clash in boxing history this September at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Netflix announced Monday.

The bout between two of boxing's biggest names -- who famously fought a blockbuster clash in 2015, and are now both in their late forties -- comes days after Mayweather announced he is coming out of retirement.

It will be broadcast live September 19 on Netflix, as the global streaming platform increasingly moves into live sports with glitzy one-off events.

"Floyd and I gave the world what remains the biggest fight in boxing history. The fans have waited long enough -- they deserve this rematch," said Pacquiao, 47, in a joint statement.

Mayweather beat fellow welterweight Pacquiao in their money-spinning 2015 "Fight of the Century," which generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys but largely failed to live up to the hype.

Mayweather is believed to have earned an estimated $300 million from the points victory over the Filipino icon, which remains the most lucrative fight in history and generated more than $600 million revenue.

Former multi-weight world champion Mayweather retired from boxing in 2017, unbeaten in 50 bouts, though he has continued to fight in exhibitions since, including an upcoming clash this spring with Mike Tyson.

Pacquaio, also a multiple world champion, retired for a four-year period from 2021 in which he unsuccessfully ran for the Philippine presidency. He came out of retirement last year, held to a draw by Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.

Rumors of a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch have circulated for years, and speculation soared following Mayweather's announcement last week that he would return to the professional arena this year.

The clash will be the first-ever professional boxing match to take place at Sphere, a venue primarily used for concerts and films which opened in 2023 and features an immersive 160,000-square-foot wraparound screen on its curved interior walls.

"I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him," said Pacquiao, in the statement.

"As always, I dedicate this fight to my fellow Filipinos around the world and to bringing glory to the Philippines."

Mayweather said: "I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result."