Less than 24 hours after the American media reported that Manny Pacquiao was in serious talks to fight for a world title in Las Vegas, the Filipino legend announced on Sunday that he is scheduled to face Japanese mix-martial arts and kickboxer Chihiro Suzuki in an exhibition but competitive boxing bout at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama.

Pacquiao even attended the formal launch of the event being staged by Rizin Fighting Federation, a Japanese promotional outfit, and posed for pictures with Suzuki on top of the ring.

“I will show this guy that boxing is harder than MMA (mix martial arts),” said Pacquiao, whose last activity was a similar exhibition bout with Korean MMA expert and YouTuber D.K. Yoo in Seoul in December 2022.

Retired from professional boxing after being upset by Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas in August 2021, Pacquiao sounded ecstatic over RIZIN’s move to bring him over and battle Suzuki, who is twenty years younger at 25.

“Finally, it is happening,” Pacquiao, winner of an unprecedented eight world titles, told the Japanese in attendance.

Pacquiao has a win-loss-draw record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts.

Suzuki, who is Peruvian lineage, has a kickboxing ledger of 12-1 with 10 knockouts and an MMA mark of 13-1 with seven knockouts.

Known as a knockout artist, Suzuki has fought exclusively in Japan.

‘I will show this guy that boxing is harder than MMA (mix martial arts).’

News of the exhibition came just hours after the US media ran stories of a possible World Boxing Council welterweight title showdown between Pacquiao and Mexican-American Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand or T-Mobile Arena.

“We are working if we can make things come together in the next few weeks for Barrios we will,” Pacquiao’s chief representative Sean Gibbons told DAILY TRIBUNE on Sunday from New York.

In the event the US fight pushes through, it will be Pacquiao’s first professional fight in four years.

Barrios, nicknamed “El Azteca,” holds a 29-2-0 mark with 18 knockouts and is promoted by Premier Boxing Champions, the same group that also staged Pacquiao’s last three fights.

If ever they get to fight, Barrios will have the clear edge in youth at 29 and a four-inch height advantage since he stands 5-10.

During his heyday, Pacquiao won world titles at flyweight, super-bantam, super-bantam, feather, super-feather, lightweight, super-lightweight, welter and super-welter, a feat that many believe will never be matched.

He was a fan favorite in America where he fought a total of 30 times starting from his US debut in June 2001 until the Ugas setback in August 2021.

The megabuck matchup with Floyd Mayweather in May 2015 remains the richest fight in history after it drew $600 million in revenue.

Mayweather’s earnings reached $180 million while Pacquiao got $120 million.