ABU DHABI // A former world boxing champion says it would make perfect financial sense for Manny Pacquiao's next fight to be staged in the UAE.
The former world featherweight champion, Barry McGuigan – in Abu Dhabi for tonight's Laureus awards – said the UAE’s tax breaks would benefit Floyd Mayweather, who has won nine world boxing titles in different divisions. There has been much recent speculation about when and whether Mayweather and Pacquiao will fight.
Talks took place last summer to stage the Filipino's November WBC super welterweight bout against Antonio Margarito in Abu Dhabi, but the fight went instead to Texas.
Pacquiao's next fight will be against Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May 7. His Canadian adviser, Michael Koncz, said a deal for him to fight in Singapore was 90 per cent done.
“[Mayweather] would like to fight and if that fight happened, in every possibility, it would happen in the UAE," said McGuigan. "He does not want to pay the sort tax he has to pay he in the US. If he boxes overseas, he can put in an overseas account and with clever accountancy they can save as much as possible."
