Manny Pacquaio to fight Muay Thai Legend Buakaw in ‘The Match of Legends’ on April 20
We now have a date for the previously announced crossover clash between Manny Pacquiao and Buakaw Banchamek.
Emanating from Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, the eight-time boxing world champion will square off with the Muay Thai icon on April 20, 2024. Billed as ‘The Match of Legends,’ the bout will be contested under international boxing rules, in a “six three-minute rounds with two-minute breaks” format. The fighters will compete at 154 lbs, or 70kg, the equivalent of super welterweight in boxing, or junior middleweight in Muay Thai.
The winner will walk away with a cash prize of 10 million baht which translates to $289,000 and a WBC Legends Belt.
We are honored to have Manny ‘PacMan’ Pacquiao and Buakaw Banchamek for this historic event, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you won’t want to miss,” Fresh Air Festival CEO Vinij Lertratanachai said in a statement.
Manny Pacquaio last competed in August 2021, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugás. Over his 26-year career, ‘PacMan’ is the only boxer to win 12 world championships across eight different divisions. He is also the first fighter to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes.
With nearly 300 fights to his credit, Buakaw Banchamek is widely considered to be one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in the history of the sport. He is a two-time K-1 World Max Champion and has captured titles under the WMC and WBC banner. In November, he earned a decision victory over Saenchai at BKFC Asia 5. A month later, Buakaw added another win to his resume, besting Nayanesh Ayman at Rajadamnern Stadium.
