Return of the Giants: Mayweather and Pacquiao Confirm Vegas Sphere Fight

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will step into the ring again to compare strength and skill on September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The fight is set to stream globally on Netflix.

The announcement comes shortly after Mayweather confirmed plans to come out of retirement following his 2026 exhibition match against Mike Tyson. He also signed a multi-fight deal with CSI Sports/Fight Sports. 

Pacquiao, meanwhile, returned to the ring last July and battled former WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a majority draw. He is also scheduled for an exhibition against Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18 in Las Vegas.

Mayweather: “This Time Will Be the Same Result”

Details on the weight class or number of rounds for the rematch have not yet been released. The event will be produced by EverWonder Studio, Hidden Empire, and Limitless X Holdings, and promoted jointly by Manny Pacquiao Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in partnership with CSI Sports/Fight Sports.

Mayweather and Pacquiao first faced off on May 2, 2015, in a fight that set records with 4.6 million US pay-per-view buys, $410 million in revenue, and $72.2 million in ticket sales.

Mayweather won by unanimous decision. Reflecting on the upcoming fight, Mayweather said, “I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result.”

Mayweather, turning 49 on February 24, retired at 40 after defeating Conor McGregor in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 professional record. Since then, he has participated in several exhibitions, including bouts against Logan Paul and John Gotti III. 

Pacquiao: “Fans Have Waited Long Enough”

Pacquiao, 47, retired after his 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugas but has made a comeback, motivated in part by a desire to get another shot at Mayweather.

Pacquiao said in a statement, “The fans have waited long enough, they deserve this rematch, and it will be even bigger now that it will be streamed live globally on Netflix. I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”

While the fight may not break traditional pay-per-view records, Netflix provides access to over 325 million subscribers worldwide. Gabe Spitzer, Netflix’s VP of sports, called the matchup a “massive full-circle moment” and highlighted the immersive experience of the Sphere, which will host its first boxing event.

Fans around the world will be watching as two of boxing’s most legendary figures step back into the ring for a rematch nearly a decade in the making.