Pacquiao to test exhibition waters vs Korean YouTuber

MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao is following in the footsteps of rival Floyd Mayweather Jr., eyeing his first exhibition match since retiring from professional boxing.

The 43-year-old boxing icon will try to cash in on his global appeal with an exhibition fight against Korean martial artist and video blogger DK Yoo.

Little is known about Yoo, although he claims to be an expert in martial arts whose YouTube channel currently has over 650,000 subscribers.

He describes himself as a fighting coach focusing on movement and meditation, and is the founder of the "Warfare Combat System."

A video posted by Yoo two weeks ago on his channel shows him and Pacquiao confirming their match, which will be held in December.

"I will fight against one of the best fighters in the world. I'm telling you now who's going to be my next opponent. I'm going to fight against Manny Pacquiao," said Yoo.

"DK Yoo, see you in the special event this coming December," responded Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and Yoo will seal the fight with a contract signing on July 20, organizers told the media Thursday.

The eight-division world champion has thus succumbed to the financial lure of exhibition matches, which has been popularized by no less than Mayweather himself.

Mayweather, who defeated Pacquiao when they fought in 2015 in boxing's richest fight ever, had been lining his pockets with lucrative exhibitions in Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

Pacquiao, for his part, retired just last year after losing to Cuban Yordenis Ugas. He shortly embarked on an unsuccessful bid to become Philippine president.

There are speculations that Pacquiao will return to the ring after losing in the elections, in a bid to have a better ending to his storied boxing career.

But as it turns out this time, it would be a showcase fight instead of another regular pro bout.