Manny Pacquiao to face Ruslan Provodnikov in exhibition bout on April 18
The 47-year-old boxer will compete in a 10-round welterweight exhibition at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas against the former junior welterweight champion.
10 hrs ago
Manny Pacquiao has confirmed he will face former junior welterweight world champion Ruslan Provodnikov in a 10-round exhibition match on April 18 at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The 47-year-old ended a four-year retirement in July 2025 when he fought WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. That contest ended in a majority draw, with two judges scoring it a draw and one awarding Barrios a 115-113 victory.
Pacquiao initially called for a rematch following the Barrios bout but has since shifted direction to face Provodnikov, who retired from professional boxing in 2016. The upcoming bout will be contested at welterweight.
"I carry the Philippines with me every time I fight," Pacquiao said in a statement issued by the fight promoters on Wednesday. "The support from my country and from fans around the world continues to inspire me. I'm coming back to give them a great fight—and I'm ready. Returning to Las Vegas means so much to me."
The April 18 matchup marks Pacquiao's second outing since returning from retirement. Thomas and Mack Center hosted a number of notable fights during the 1990s before the venue's prominence in boxing diminished in subsequent decades.
Provodnikov, a former light-welterweight world champion, will step into the ring for the exhibition after nearly a decade away from professional competition.