Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Thailand’s Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek bring it to the ring for a boxing superbout pitting two of the world’s titans in combat sports.
The bout was formally announced on Friday in a press conference in Bangkok where Pacquiao arrived from the Philippines via a private jet.
The highly anticipated bout, dubbed the Match of Legends, between the two power-punching masters is set in January 2024 in Macau.
Pacquiao, who is the only boxer in history to have won 12 titles in eight divisions, signed the contract and engaged the Thai media that further generated excitement for the bout.
Meanwhile, Buakaw is considered a Muay Thai god in Thailand and became a household name after becoming the K1 world champion in 2004 and 2006.
Pacquiao, 44, has put together 62 wins with 39 knockouts, 8 losses, and 2 draws while Buakaw has a stunning record of 240 wins, 73 of them by knockouts.
The promotion will be put up by Fresh Air Festival which is known for organizing blockbuster football matches, including the Manchester United and Liverpool’s ‘THE MATCH Bangkok Century Cup 2022’ in Thailand in July 2022.
Before meeting Pacquiao, Buakaw will take on fellow Thai legend Suphachai “Saenchai” Saepong on Nov. 4 in a bare-knuckle fight that pays the highest prize purse in Thailand’s combat sports history.
After losing a title bout against Yordenis Ugas, Pacquiao joined the celebrity boxing bandwagon by taking South Korea’s social media star DK Yoo and winning their exhibition bout in December 2022.