Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao is official for May 2nd

It's official.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will fight on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada in one of the most anticipated fights in boxing history.

Details of the agreement between the two pugilists are still scarce. Yahoo's Kevin Iole reports Mayweather and Pacquiao are set to split purses 60-40 with Mayweather taking $120 million while Pacquiao earns $80 million. The bout will be contested at welterweight, or 147 pounds.

"I am glad my decision to meet with Manny and discuss making this fight happen helped get the deal done," Mayweather said via release. "Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport. Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2. I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win.  Manny is going to try to do what 47 before himf ailed to do, but he won't be successful. He will be number 48."

Showtime Sports tweeted the news to make it official:



The bout has been discussed and negotiated since 2009, but no agreement was able to be reached until now.

Pacquiao, 36, enters this bout having most recently fought Chris Algieri to a unanimous decision win in November of 2014. His record stands at 57-5-2. Mayweather, 37, enters this contest have defeated Marcos Maidana for the second time in as many bouts, the most recent of which took place in September of 2014. He holds a perfect professional record of 47-0.

Both are widely regarded as the two best fighters of their generation in the sport of boxing.

"Everyone involved, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, knows this fight simply had to happen," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. "All of us are thrilled to be able to deliver this event to boxing fans around the world.  Now, for the second time under his current deal with Showtime Networks, Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight an opponent that many people thought he'd never face.  We set an all-time pay-per-view record with the first event back in September 2013, and we look forward to another record-breaking performance on May 2."

"Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been the two most prominent fighters in the sport of boxing for the past decade, and fight fans around the world have been clamoring for them to face each other.  And now, on May 2nd, in what everyone believes will be the biggest boxing event of all-time, fight fans have been granted their wish," Ken Hershman, President, HBO Sports, said via release. "May 2nd will be a signature moment for the sport of boxing and HBO Sports is thrilled to be a part of this spectacular event.  I know the fighters and their teams will be primed to excel and we plan to work closely with everyone involved to deliver the same level of performance from a broadcast perspective."

http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/2/20/8079717/mayweather-vs-pacquiao-is-a-done-deal