Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao agree to a rematch in Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao are set to renew one of boxing’s most iconic rivalries, officially confirming a rematch of their historic 2015 showdown.

The second bout will take place on September 19 in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on Netflix.

The event will also make history as the first boxing contest staged at the state-of-the-art Sphere, the immersive entertainment arena located just east of the Las Vegas Strip.

Mayweather, who turns 49 on Tuesday, recently announced plans to come out of a nine-year retirement from competitive boxing.

Pacquiao, 47, resumed his career last year and is scheduled to face Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18 as part of his comeback campaign.

The rematch comes 11 years after Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision in a long-anticipated contest that, despite unprecedented buildup, fell short of fan expectations inside the ring.

Nevertheless, promoters declared the bout the most lucrative fight in boxing history, shattering pay-per-view records and drawing massive global attention.

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

Pacquiao later disclosed that he competed in the 2015 fight with a shoulder injury but chose not to withdraw from what was widely billed as the “Fight of the Century". The injury limited his trademark aggressive combinations, while Mayweather relied on his disciplined, defence-first approach to secure a comfortable 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.”

Their original meeting materialised after years of negotiations, delays, and public back-and-forth between both camps.

During that period, each side blamed the other for stalling talks. Mayweather consistently maintained that he would fight on his own terms, a stance that fuelled speculation among some observers that he waited until Pacquiao had passed his physical peak before agreeing to the contest.

Now, more than a decade removed from their primes, both men remain among boxing’s most recognisable figures.

Mayweather retired in 2017 after defeating Conor McGregor to extend his professional record to a perfect 50-0. Since then, he has participated in a series of high-profile exhibition bouts against social media personalities and other non-traditional opponents, capitalising on his commercial appeal.

Outside the ring, he is reportedly facing multiple legal disputes involving alleged unpaid financial obligations, including rent and luxury purchases.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, ventured into politics, launching an unsuccessful bid for the presidency of the Philippines before losing in last year’s Senate elections.

He returned to boxing shortly thereafter, fighting WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a majority draw in an attempt to become the oldest welterweight world champion in history.

The rematch also underscores Netflix’s growing investment in live sports broadcasting.

The streaming giant previously aired Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Álvarez and is set to showcase heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s upcoming comeback bout in April.