In what could prove to be one of the most astonishing additions to a British boxing card in modern history, legendary eight-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao could be set to make his long-awaited debut on United Kingdom soil. Negotiations are currently at an advanced stage to add the 47-year-old Filipino icon to the undercard of the upcoming heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed the remarkable development during a media event on Thursday, revealing that terms have already been agreed on their side for former super-featherweight world champion Joe Cordina to step into the ring against Pacquiao. The proposed fight would place the legendary former champion on the undercard of an all-British heavyweight collision that has already captured the imagination of global sports fans, creating an unprecedented spectacle in the Welsh capital.
"We’ve agreed terms to face Pacquiao, but we don’t know if it’s happening," Hearn revealed when discussing the potential undercard arrangement. "From our side, we’ve agreed to do it."
While Hearn stopped short of declaring the matchup finalized, his comments confirm that the wheels are actively in motion to bring one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport to Wales. The potential inclusion of Pacquiao adds even more star power to a bill that is already tracking to be one of the biggest sporting events of the decade.
The headlining attraction between Fury and Joshua had already demonstrated its immense commercial pulling power when ticket sales opened to the public. Demands for seats at the iconic Principality Stadium were so overwhelming that the entire venue was completely sold out within just one hour. Fight fans lucky enough to secure tickets for the December 11 event may now be treated to an extraordinary bonus in the form of Pacquiao taking on Cardiff’s own native son.
For boxing enthusiasts worldwide who are unable to attend the sold-out stadium in person, the entire event will be broadcast globally by streaming giant Netflix. The platform’s massive international reach guarantees a vast television audience for the card, ensuring that millions across the globe will tune in to see the heavyweight mega-fight as well as any potential supporting action featuring Pacquiao.
Should the contract details be finalized, the bout would represent a monumental moment in Pacquiao’s storied career, marking the very first time the 12-time former world champion has ever competed professionally in the United Kingdom. Despite having traveled the globe over a career spanning several decades, the Filipino superstar has never performed inside a British ring, making the Cardiff event a historical eventuality for domestic fight fans who have followed his legendary achievements from afar.
Pacquiao’s history against British opposition is brief but iconic. The last time the eight-division champion shared a ring with a fighter from the United Kingdom was in May 2009, when he produced a terrifying knockout victory over Manchester’s Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. That memorable encounter remains a landmark moment in modern boxing history, and a showdown against Cordina would mark the first time in 16 years that Pacquiao has squared off against a British adversary.
Despite reaching the age of 47, Pacquiao remains a massive attraction in the sport. His career resume stands as one of the most remarkable in athletic history, boasting 62 victories across 73 professional bouts. After stepping away from the sport to focus on his high-profile political career in his homeland of the Philippines, Pacquiao eventually launched a comeback, stepping out of his second retirement to test himself once again at the highest level of combat sports.
Pacquiao was most recently seen in action in July 2025, when he made an ambitious bid to capture Mario Barrios’ welterweight title. That high-stakes return ended in a hard-fought majority draw, proving that the veteran still possesses the durability and skill to compete at a elite international standard.
Following the bout with Barrios, plans had initially been laid for Pacquiao to renew his intense rivalry with unbeaten superstar Floyd Mayweather in a long-awaited rematch of their record-breaking 2015 mega-fight. The second clash between the two ring icons had been tentatively scheduled for September, but the project hit a major roadblock in June when the bout was postponed indefinitely. With the Mayweather rematch shelved for the foreseeable future, the opportunity for Pacquiao to anchor the undercard of the Fury-Joshua extravaganza in Cardiff emerged as a compelling alternative.
On the other side of the proposed contest stands 34-year-old Joe Cordina, whose inclusion guarantees a captivating hometown flavor for the Welsh contingent in attendance at the Principality Stadium. A former Olympian and former IBF super-featherweight world champion, Cordina represents one of Wales’ finest boxing exports of his generation, and securing a fight against a global legend like Pacquiao in his home city would mark the undisputed pinnacle of his professional journey.
Cordina’s potential placement on the December 11 card comes after a turbulent and challenging period in both his professional career and personal life. The Welshman was previously seen in action on another high-profile card in Saudi Arabia, fighting on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s first heavyweight unification fight against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh in May 2024. On that night, Cordina suffered a setback, losing his IBF super-featherweight world title to Belfast’s Anthony Cacace.
That defeat in Riyadh ended a triumphant championship reign that had reached its peak in Cardiff the previous year, when Cordina put on a brilliant display to regain his IBF belt against Shavkat Rahimov in front of a raucous Welsh crowd. A return to the Principality Stadium would mark Cordina’s first appearance in his hometown since that memorable victory over Rahimov, offering him the perfect stage to rebuild his standing on the global scene.
Following his title loss to Cacace, Cordina had been working toward a career resurgence at lightweight. He had been officially scheduled to challenge rising American star Abduallah Mason for the WBO lightweight championship in Cleveland in July. However, those plans were abruptly derailed when Cordina was denied a US visa, preventing him from traveling to America to take part in the championship fight.
Adding to the complexity of his hiatus, Cordina was forced to contend with serious legal distractions off the canvas. The former champion stood trial facing allegations of assault, a legal battle that cast a cloud of uncertainty over his athletic future. Throughout the high-stress legal proceedings, Cordina maintained his discipline and remained in active training, refusing to let his physical condition slide while waiting for his day in court.
Cordina was ultimately cleared of all charges, receiving a full legal acquittal that completely exonerated him and removed the dark cloud hanging over his career. The verdict provided immediate clarity for his future in the ring, opening the door for his promotional team to secure new opportunities. The legal resolution directly paved the way for his potential involvement on the December 11 card, giving Cordina the green light to pursue what would undoubtedly be the most lucrative and high-profile bout of his entire career.
With details regarding the rest of the undercard for the Fury-Joshua fight still to be officially released by organizers, the potential clash between Pacquiao and Cordina stands out as a dream fixture for international and local fans alike. The combination of a world-renowned legend making his UK debut and a local champion seeking redemption after overcoming severe personal and professional hurdles provides a compelling narrative that mirrors the magnitude of the main event itself.
As negotiations continue behind closed doors to finalize the contracts and bring Pacquiao to Wales, the sporting world remains in eager anticipation. If the deal crosses the finish line, December 11 in Cardiff will not only host the long-awaited heavyweight battle between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but it will also witness the historical UK arrival of Manny Pacquiao against hometown hero Joe Cordina in an event for the ages.
