Manny Pacquiao happy to fight in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and urges Floyd Mayweather Jr to stop giving promoters 'a hard time'

In Dubai this weekend, boxing star Manny Pacquiao was busy mixing basketball with business.

The Filipino southpaw, boxing's only eight-division world champion, headlined a Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League event at Hamdan Sports Complex on Friday and Saturday, playing in two exhibition matches. He even top-scored in each, with impressive hauls of 35 and 42 points, respectively.

Pacquiao spoke to The National about plans to fight in the UAE next year in what would be a milestone moment for boxing in the country.

Pacquiao’s three-bout contract with Premier Boxing Champions has one commitment left to run – he expects that to be April – leaving the WBA welterweight champion to then focus on a potential fight in the Emirates.

Pacquiao chatted about a possible Dubai debut around Expo 2020, whether Amir Khan would make the perfect opponent for that and the latest regarding a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.