Manny Pacquiao 'Ready to Go' for Fight vs. Conor Benn amid Contract Talks

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is gearing up for his return to the ring against a rising young fighter.

Pacquiao had a face-off with Conor Benn in Saudi Arabia Thursday following the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou weigh-in, and he told Lance Pugmire of Boxing Scene that he's hoping to leave Saudi Arabia with a signed contract to fight the England native.

"I'm in shape, ready to go, and the months we gave them [to schedule the fight] are May and June," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao hasn't fought professionally since his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. He's training for an April 20 exhibition bout against Muay Thai and kickboxing legend Buakaw Banchamek, but facing Benn presents a different challenge.

The 27-year-old has an undefeated 23-0 record with 14 of his wins coming by knockout. He most recently defeated Peter Dobson by unanimous decision on Feb. 3. He told Pugmire he's interested in fighting Pacquiao because "the public demands it, and I'll fight any man, any legend. Let's get pen to paper and get it done now."

Benn's promoter Eddie Hearn told MMA journalist Ariel Helwani that he is interested in getting a deal done for the fight as soon as possible:

"He's popular here [in Saudi Arabia and the U.K.] and he's willing to fight me now," Pacquiao told Pugmire of Benn. "I've seen it. He has a lot of fans here. I expect us to finalize it this weekend, and I think we'll fight here in Saudi Arabia."

Pacquiao has held 12 world titles in eight different divisions, the only boxer ever to accomplish such a feat. In 72 fights, he has a record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts. The 45-year-old is one of the greatest boxers of all time, so fans will surely be excited to see him return to the ring.