The Sphere To Host Historic Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Rematch In September 2026

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao officially announce their professional rematch for Sept. 19, 2026, at The Sphere, streaming live on Netflix.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 24, 2026, 11:01 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from AP News, Netflix, and DAZN

Netflix Secures Global Rights for Boxing's Biggest Icons Following the success of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event in late 2024, Netflix has solidified its position in combat sports by landing the Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch. The fight will be included in standard Netflix subscriptions, potentially reaching over 300 million viewers worldwide. This distribution model marks a significant departure from the 2015 bout, which set a then-record of 4.6 million PPV buys at a nearly $100 price point.

A Professional Return for "Money" Mayweather This contest is not an exhibition. Mayweather is officially ending a nine-year professional retirement—his last sanctioned bout being the 10th-round TKO of Conor McGregor in 2017. Mayweather, who turns 49 this week, stated: "I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result."

Pacquiao's Quest for Vengeance Manny Pacquiao, who recently returned from a four-year retirement and fought to a majority draw against Mario Barrios in 2025, has been vocal about wanting to avenge his unanimous decision loss. "I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him," Pacquiao said during Monday's announcement. Before the September rematch, Pacquiao is scheduled to face Ruslan Provodnikov in an exhibition match on April 18.

The Sphere: A Tech-Forward Fighting Arena Promoters have emphasized that the event will utilize The Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot wraparound LED screen to create an "immersive experience" unlike any previous fight night. While the UFC successfully held a show at the venue in 2024, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 will be the first time a boxing ring has been centered on the high-tech stage.

Middle-Aged Matchup Sparks Controversy Despite the massive name value, the age of the participants has drawn criticism. By the time they step into the ring, the combined age of the fighters will be 96. However, analysts expect the commercial success to rival their first encounter due to the global accessibility of the Netflix platform and the iconic status of the two Hall of Famers.