RING legend Manny Pacquiao is fighting again—not for a world title, money nor fame, but for charity.
The 43-year-old eight-division world champion Pacquiao will figure in a six-round exhibition boxing fight against YouTuber and mixed martial artist DK Yoo of South Korea sometime in December in Seoul.
Pacquiao and the 42-year-old Yoo formally made the announcement together in a news conference in a Taguig City hotel.
It will be Pacquiao’s first fight since August 21 last year at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where he absorbed a unanimous decision loss to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas, who retained his World Boxing Association welterweight belt.
Pacquiao reiterated he’s retired from professional boxing but stressed his exhibition match with Yoo is purely for charity.
“As of now, my mind is already retired. This is just a charity event to help the people,” Pacquiao said. “What’s important is I’m always in good shape. I will work hard and make sure my condition is 100 percent so I can still show off my skills on the ring.”
Pacquiao’s bosom buddy and long-time trainer and Coach Buboy Fernandez will train him for the Yoo fight, where the former senator is believed to be guaranteed of a $2 million purse.
A Korean fight promter, Fightk, is bankrolling the duel.
Pacquiao retired last year with a 62-win, 8-loss and 2-draw recorded highlighted by 39 knockouts. He said that he’ll prepare for Yoo as if it’s a championship bout, but didn’t entertain thoughts of winning by knockout.
“It’s unnecessary to go for a knockout,” he said. “What’s important is to entertain the people.”
Yoo is the founder of Warfare Combat System and is a fight coach with 654,000 subscriber in YouTube. He said he’s fighting Pacquiao because of “respect” to the “best-ever boxer in the world,” although he said he also plans to challenge Floyd Mayweather Jr., Logan Paul and UFC’s Conor McGregor in similar exhibition bouts.
“Plain and simple—I fully respect him [Pacquiao],” Yoo said through an interpreter.
The Korean lost to retired UFC fighter Bradley Scott of England in an exhibition boxing bout last December 4 in South Korea.
Pacquiao is developing a housing area in Sarangani which he said is for the poor. He calls it the Pacquiao Village.
