Manny Pacquiao eyes Dubai as possible location for September return to the ring

The Filipino fighter is preparing for a return to boxing action in the autumn - and his camp confirm Dubai is among the potential venues being considered to host the bout.

Manny Pacquiao in training ahead of his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez - the two could meet again in Dubai this September.
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Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring in September - and could face Juan Manuel Marquez in Dubai.

The Filipino boxer, who is looking for a rematch with Marquez after being knocked out by the Mexican last Decemeber, is eyeing locations outside the USA for the fight due to taxes.

And Rose Tamayo, the fighter's spokeswoman, confirmed that the UAE was one of the possible contenders to host what would be a big money bout.

"Manny wants to fight outside the United States because of the taxes," she said.

"Singapore is one of the top places for consideration. There is also Macau and Dubai."

Click here for The Manny Pacquiao Story - our interactive guide to the boxer's camp

Pacquaio is currently running for re-election in the Philippine congress, and will not announce his opponent until after the elections on May 13.

But a fifth fight against Marquez is favored after the 34-year-old suffered a stunning sixth round knockout defeat in their fourth encounter in Las Vegas late last year, with talks between the two camps still ongoing.

"The fight is definitely in September," said Tamayo.

"We will talk about the opponent and the place after the May 13 elections," Tamayo said, citing comments Pacquiao made to her on Wednesday.

Pacquiao has won an unprecedented eight world titles in different weight divisions, and was until recently regarded by many as the best pound-for-pound boxer.

But he lost his WBO welterweight title to Tim Bradley in controversial circumstances last June, which was followed up by the shock defeat to Marquez.

His losses prompted calls for him to retire, but Pacquiao has consistently signalled his intention to keep on fighting.

The fighter has a large fanbase in the UAE, particularly among the Filipino community, and Dubai was at one point linked with staging a potential big money fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Maywether.

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