Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao Announce September 2026 Rematch: What We Know

Boxing icons Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have announced a rematch of their famed 2015 bout. Their second fight will be held on September 19 in Las Vegas. The rematch, which will be streamed on Netflix, will be the first boxing event to be held at Sphere, the immersive event venue east of the Strip.

Mayweather, who turned 49 years old on Tuesday (February 24, 2026), announced his intention the previous week to end his nine-year retirement from competitive boxing. The 47-year-old Pacquiao came out of his own four-year retirement in 2025, and he is slated to face Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18 in the second bout of his comeback.

Mayweather and Pacquiao did not announce a weight class or length for their second clash. The two foremost boxers of their generation will meet again 11 years after Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by decision in a fight that did not really live up to the decade of hype preceding it. The bout's promoters claimed it was still the most profitable fight in history, setting pay-per-view records (4.6 million buys) and attracting worldwide attention.

Iconic Boxers Trade Barbs

“I already fought and beat Manny once,” Mayweather said in a statement. "This time will be the same result.”

Pacquiao later revealed he battled with a shoulder injury because he didn't want to postpone such an important event. He was unable to apply his usual offensive pressure to Mayweather, who leveraged his usual defense-first strategy while claiming an easy victory.

“The fans have waited long enough — they deserve this rematch,” Pacquiao said. “I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”

The fighters' first meeting happened more than five years after fans first began to clamour for an obvious match-up between two similarly-sized greats. Both sides blamed the other for the delay at times, but Mayweather always asserted he would fight whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted — leading many fans to believe Mayweather waited to accept the bout until he felt age had taken a bit of sting out of Pacquiao's famously vicious punches.

Where They Stand Currently

Both boxers are now much more than a decade past their respective primes, but Mayweather and Pacquiao remain two of the biggest names in boxing.

After Mayweather beat Conor McGregor in 2017 and retired with a 50-0 record, he spent much of his 40s competing in lucrative boxing “exhibitions” against YouTubers and fringe competitors while largely maintaining his extravagant lifestyle outside the ring. He is currently in legal disputes with multiple alleged creditors over issues ranging from unpaid rent on a Manhattan apartment to outstanding jewellery bills.

Mayweather has announced another exhibition against 59-year-old Mike Tyson this spring, although the bout still doesn't have a location or date.

Pacquiao ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of his native Philippines and then lost in the Philippine Senate election May 2025. He returned to the ring two months after that political setback, fighting WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a majority draw while trying to become the oldest 147-pound champion.

The rematch is the latest bout to land on Netflix as the platform continues to scoop up top fights for its live sports programming. The streamer showcased Terence Crawford's victory over Canelo Alvarez last year, and it will present heavyweight champ Tyson Fury's comeback bout in April too.

The Sphere venue, which opened in 2023, hosted a UFC show in 2024. UFC president Dana White said the promotion had to pay roughly 20 million US dollars to produce that show — around 10 times more than a normal UFC pay-per-view event — because of the venue's unusual capabilities and requirements.

(With AP inputs)