Who will Manny Pacquiao fight next? 'PacMan' agrees to box kickboxing legend in 2024

Manny Pacquiao vs. Buakaw is slated for April 20, 2024.

'PacMan' famously retired following a loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. That short-notice bout saw the legendary Pacquiao retire afterward. Holding a 62-8-2 professional boxing record, it seemed that his place in history was secure.

Instead, he began to focus on his political career and even ran for President of the Philippines. However, over two years removed from his retirement, Pacquiao is back boxing. Last December, he defeated martial artist DK Yoo in an exhibition boxing match.

Following that bout, the retired boxer showed interest in returning to the ranks of professional boxing. However, Pacquiao has instead decided to book another exhibition match. Earlier today, his return was announced for April 20, 2024.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Buakaw will headline a boxing card that date in Thailand. As of now, no other contests have been announced for the event, which will go down from the Impact Arena in Bangkok. While Pacquiao is no stranger to boxing, the bout will be Buakaw's first in the ring.

However, the Thai fighter is no stranger to combat sports. Buakaw's lengthy career has seen him compete in kickboxing, muay Thai, and even bare-knuckle boxing. However, he will be wearing gloves this time around in April.

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Baukaw: What other details are known about the event?

As of now, not much is known about the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs. Baukaw event.

That being said, promoters did reveal some information in the press release put out earlier today. As previously stated, this bout won't be a professional one, but instead an exhibition. Meaning, this fight will likely resemble a sparring match, not too dissimilar from Floyd Mayweather's recent bouts.

Furthermore, like other exhibitions, the rules for this bout will be a bit different. The fight will be six three-minute rounds. Instead of one minute in the corner, boxers will receive a two-minute break instead.

Furthermore, there are high stakes for Manny Pacquaio vs. Buakaw. While the fight won't go on either man's professional record, the winner of the contest will reportedly earn a 10 million baht prize. That would be $289,000, which isn't a whole lot for one like Pacquiao.

However, to the Muay Thai legend, that's quite a large sum. With that in mind, it's safe to say that he will be looking for the knockout in April.