NEWS: MANNY PACQUIAO INKS DEAL WITH RIZIN, POSSIBLY PAVING WAY TO FLOYD MAYWEATHER EXHIBITION

By: Jay Calderon

On Saturday, during Rizin Fighting Federation's New Year's Eve card in Saitama, Japan, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao announced he had signed a deal with the company to stage a contest sometime in 2023. While the exact details of the arrangement have yet to be disclosed, the affair will likely be an exhibition encounter with a Japanese fighter.

Pacquiao last saw action of any kind in an exhibition encounter with South Korean YouTuber DK Yoo, making easier work on his counterpart earlier this month. This was Pacquaio's first taste of fighting of any kind since his 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugas, after which Manny announced his retirement from the sport.

An interesting note about Rizin is their history of working with former world champion and future Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather, a long-time rival of Pacquiao. Since retiring in 2017, Mayweather has participated in five exhibition contests, two with Rizin. With both fighters linked to the promotion at various points, a potential exhibition bout between the pair of all-timers could see the light of day in the coming year.

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