Manny Pacquiao Next Fight: Filipino Boxing Icon Takes A Break With K-Pop Girls

It will be a busy December for Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who is in the midst of training as he prepares for Adrien "The Problem" Broner. Despite a hectic schedule, the WBA welterweight champion found the time to accommodate a K-Pop group, Chic Angel, who paid a visit to the fighting Senator from Saranggani Province at a local gym.

The visit somehow lightened the mood for Pacquiao, according to GMA News Online. The girls watched the Filipino do mitts training and eventually performed inside the ring for the Filipino boxing icon and his friends. The visit was wrapped up with Pacquiao and the K-Pop girls flashing the heart sign.

Pacquiao is all set to end his two-year hiatus from the U.S. boxing ring when he returns on Jan. 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to defend his WBA title. Out to try and pry the belt from him is Broner, a former four-division world champion, Boxing Scene reported.

The fight is seen as a warm-up fight for Pacquiao, who hopes to get a much-covered rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Interestingly, the undefeated American boxer is also set to have a warm-up exhibition fight against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa.

The rules for the RIZIN 14 exhibition match set to take place on Dec. 31 have already been revealed, as per a previous IBTimes report. The bout will be straight boxing rules with three rounds of three minutes each. Both fighters will wear 8-ounce RIZIN gloves with a catchweight of 147-pounds. The results of the exhibition fight will not affect the professional records of either fighter.

After their fights, it will be interesting if a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 will indeed gain ground. Though both crossed paths in Japan, the scene that sparked talks of a rematch, a lot will depend on the negotiations between the two camps.

But before looking that far, Pacquiao needs to maintain his focus on Broner - someone he cannot underestimate. According to Philippine Star, there is too much at stake, considering that Broner is 10 years younger than the Pac-Man.

Pacquiao is the odds-on-favorite to prevail over Broner. As pointed out by the Manila Times, both Paddy Power and Betfair picked Pacquiao to win 4/9 with Broner a 7/4 underdog in their November ranking. The odds of the fight ending in a draw are 20/1.