Manny Pacquiao will return to the fight in the United States for the first time in two years when he will defend his secondary welterweight world title against former four-division titlist Adrien Broner.
The fight, formally announced on Monday at a news conference in New York, will take place on Jan. 19 and headline a Showtime PPV card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
After a year off, Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), who turns 40 on Dec. 17, returned in July and knocked out Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round – Pacquiao’s first KO since his 2009 victory over Miguel Cotto to win his first welterweight title – to win a secondary welterweight belt in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
A win over Broner could lead Pacquiao, who recently signed with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions, to a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, a fight they have discussed for next year.
Although Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs), 29, of Cincinnati, has been a popular draw, he comes into the fight 0-1-1 in his last two bouts. He lost a clear decision to Mikey Garcia in July 2017 and then boxed to a majority draw with Jessie Vargas on April 21.