Mayweather says Pacquiao rematch is exhibition, venue still undecided
Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced that his anticipated September 19 rematch with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas will be an exhibition match, not a professional bout, and the venue, initially rumored to be the Sphere, is still undecided.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have officially agreed to a professional boxing rematch scheduled for September 19, 2026, at the Sphere in Las Vegas, which will be streamed live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers. This marks the first professional boxing match to be held at the technologically advanced Sphere venue. The announcement was made on February 23, 2026, with both fighters confirming the bout through their respective promotional companies - MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions, and CSI Sports/Fight Sports.
Contrary to earlier reports suggesting an exhibition match, this has been clarified as a professional bout where Pacquiao could potentially break Mayweather's undefeated 50-0 professional record. Sean Gibbons, president of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, explicitly stated "this is not an exhibition, this is a real fight." The weight class and number of rounds for the rematch have not been officially disclosed as of the latest reports.
Both fighters are returning from retirement for this high-profile rematch. Mayweather, who will be 49 at fight time, last fought professionally in August 2017 when he defeated Conor McGregor. Pacquiao, who will be 47, ended his retirement in July 2025 with a draw against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. Before the September rematch, both fighters have exhibition commitments - Mayweather faces Mike Tyson in an eight-round exhibition on April 25, 2026, in Kinshasa, DRC, while Pacquiao has a 10-round welterweight exhibition against Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18, 2026, in Las Vegas.
The rematch comes eleven years after their first encounter in May 2015, dubbed "The Fight of the Century," where Mayweather won by unanimous decision. That fight generated 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and was marred by Pacquiao's shoulder injury complaints that limited his offensive capabilities against Mayweather's defensive style. Pacquiao has expressed his desire to give Mayweather "the one loss on his professional record" and stated that fans "have waited enough—deserve this" rematch. Mayweather, however, remains confident, stating: "I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result."
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