LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao isn’t done with boxing yet and will return to the ring on April 18 to face former junior welterweight world champion Ruslan Provodnikov in a 10-round welterweight exhibition.
Pacquiao, 47, last fought July 19 against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, losing by majority draw. Two of the judges scored it a draw and Max DeLuca awarded Barrios a 115-113 victory.
The loss dropped Pacquiao’s record to 62-9-2.
“Returning to Las Vegas means so much to me, and I’m excited to work with a team focused on creating a world-class experience for the fans,” Pacquiao said in a statement. “I’m coming back to give them a great fight – and I’m ready.”
The bout will be at the Thomas & Mack Center, which hosted a number of notable fights in the 1990s before the construction of MGM Grand Garden Arena and then T-Mobile Arena that became the primary homes for Las Vegas’ top matches.