THE long-standing rivalry between 21st-century boxing icons Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains intense, as the former leaves the door open for a potential rematch sometime next year.
It’s been a decade since the so-called “Fight of the Century” lit up the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, yet the Filipino legend still shows that their saga is far from over.
With Pacquiao now set to reunite with his former promotion, Top Rank, for a bout on January 24, 2026, discussions about a second clash with Mayweather have begun to gain traction as he finalizes his next match.
Rejoining longtime advisor Michael Koncz and ex-promoter Bob Arum, PacMan currently has two possible opponents on the table following his successful comeback against Mario Barrios Jr. last July.
“There’s a lot of ongoing negotiations right now. So it’s hard to preempt what fight I’m going to push through,” Pacquiao said at a press conference in Quezon City on Wednesday.
“I’m waiting for the final negotiations but right now we have a lot of running negotiations for the fight. There’s a possible rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. And also there’s a fight with [Vasyl] Lomachenko and another fighter.”
“So soon, we’re going to announce the final fight and decision of what fight we’re going to push through,” he went on to say.
Both contenders are under consideration by Pacquiao’s camp, but when asked which opponent he would prefer, the 46-year-old quickly and confidently named the retired American boxer as his choice.
“I’d love to have a fight, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather. I hope the negotiations, we can understand each other and we can negotiate well,” he said.
It can be recalled that when Mayweather and Pacquiao clashed in May 2015—one of the most anticipated bouts in boxing history—the undefeated American emerged victorious by unanimous decision.
Currently, Pacquiao and his team are in the final stages of negotiations before making an official announcement. The tentative target is the first quarter of next year, though a specific venue has yet to be confirmed.
