Action between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios in their WBC welterweight championship fight, July 19, 2025 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Esther Lin, PBC
Filipino boxing icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao "felt great" during his bout against Mario Barrios last weekend in Las Vegas, as he returned to professional boxing after a four-year layoff.
Pacquiao had not fought since 2021 when he lost to Yordenis Ugás, but he showed flashes of his old self against a much-younger opponent and had Barrios on the back foot for stretches of the bout.
He ultimately fell short, however, as judges deemed that Barrios did enough to win the final three rounds. One judge scored the fight 115-113 for the Mexican-American, while the other two had it an even 114-114 for a majority draw.
Barrios kept his WBC welterweight belt.
READ: In boxing comeback, inspired Pacquiao battles Barrios to majority draw
Pacquiao said after the fight that he believed he did enough to win, but was gracious about the result and said in a social media post on Tuesday that Barrios is "a true warrior."
"It was an honor to share the ring with you," Pacquiao said to his 30-year-old foe.
"Even after all these years, I felt great in there. I thank God for the strength and grace to still compete at this level," said Pacquiao, now 46 years old.
"To all my fans around the world, especially my fellow Filipinos, thank you for your love, prayers, and support. This may not have been the result we wanted, but I gave my best and I will always fight with heart, for God, for family, and for country," he added.
The "Pacman" did not indicate what he intends to do next, but had previously hinted that he plans to fight again.
"Don't worry," Pacquiao had said in the post-fight press conference on Saturday. "Pacman is back, so I'm still here."
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