Manny Pacquiao got here out of retirement to highschool MMA fighter years before fully-fledged boxing return

Manny Pacquiao began his path to a comeback three years ago today.

The Filipino legend hung up his boxing gloves in 2021 after falling in need of regaining the WBA (Super) welterweight title. Pacquiao lost to Yordenis Ugas in a fight that looked to have spelled the tip of his profession within the ring.

Over 4 years later, nonetheless, ‘PacMan’ is coming off a title fight and is in line to challenge for an additional world championship in 2026. After a draw against Mario Barrios narrowly denied him the WBC welterweight belt, Pacquiao’s boxing comeback will proceed in 2026, where a shot at WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero looks more likely to await.

Pacquiao’s latest performance surprised many, provided that the 46-year-old had not fought professionally since 2021. However the all-time legend was not completely inactive during that layoff.

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Manny Pacquiao dominated South Korean martial artist DK Yoo in boxing exhibition

Exhibition boxing matches have develop into somewhat of a craze in the game across recent years, with Pacquiao’s ex-rival Floyd Mayweather featuring in lots of since his retirement. ‘Money’ has faced influencers, YouTubers, and martial artists across eight exhibition matches since 2018.

Pacquiao got in on the motion for the primary time on at the present time, December 10, in 2022. The Filipino fan favorite faced South Korean martial artist DK Yoo in a six-round match at Korea International Exhibition Center in Goyang.

Boxing’s first and only eight-division world champion schooled his opponent, knocking him down multiple times en path to an unsurprising and one-sided unanimous decision victory.

The gulf in ability was clear, as ‘PacMan’ controlled the fight from start to complete and showed that Yoo was completely out of his depth.

While Pacquiao remained coy about his boxing plans within the aftermath, he would finally commit to an expert comeback over two years later after facing Rukiya Anpo in 2024 in one other exhibition bout, this time under the Rizin banner.

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Manny Pacquiao’s 2022 boxing return was for an incredible cause

Pacquiao’s exhibition match with Yoo was not a money grab or a way for the Filipino legend to shake off the ring rust for his fully-fledged comeback.

As a substitute, ‘PacMan’ faced Yoo in a charity match that raised money for some great causes. Pacquiao didn’t take home a penny for the bout, with one hundred pc of the proceeds going to multiple charities.

That features Pacquiao’s housing project in his native Philippines, with money from the match going toward the constructing of 80 houses as a part of his foundation’s work to construct homes for families in need.

Families affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier that 12 months were also beneficiaries of the cash raised when Pacquiao shared the ring with Yoo.