Manny Pacquiao‘s search for his next opponent could finally be over.
Eight-weight world champion Pacquiao was last in action in July 2025 when he was held to a draw in a WBC welterweight title fight against Mario Barrios.
Throughout 2026 he has then been linked to a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, over a decade on from their high-profile meeting back in May 2015, which Mayweather won by unanimous decision.
Despite it being announced that their second meeting would be broadcast live on Netflix in September, the bout never came to fruition, but it has been widely reported that the streaming giant still owes Pacquiao a bout due to the agreement he signed.
That could be set to come on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua card in Cardiff on December 11, with Pacquiao having been rumoured to have fights against the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Amir Khan on the bill.
It is another fighter who has now agreed terms to face the Filipino icon though, after promoter Eddie Hearn revealed to The Ring that Joe Cordina has agreed his side of a possible fight.
Eddie Hearn tells me @RingMagazine that Joe Cordina has agreed his terms to fight Manny Pacquiao in Cardiff. Still unsure if the fight gets made or not though. #Boxing
— LH (@louishart_) October 22, 2026
Cordina has held the IBF super-featherweight title on two occasions, but lost the belt back in May 2024 when he suffered an eighth round stoppage loss to Anthony Cacace.
The Welshman has won two fights since then, the latest of those coming against Gabriel Flores in December, and due to being from Cardiff he was put forward by Hearn as an option for Pacquiao on the Fury vs. Joshua card.
It remains to be seen whether Pacquiao will agree to the fight on his end, with Cordina also linked to a bout against WBO lightweight champion Abdullah Mason, after the pair were originally due to meet earlier this year.
