The Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse map will be broadcast live on ESPN +

The Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse card will be broadcast live on ESPN +, the network and Top Rank announced Saturday after Pacquiao's MP Promotions signed the required paperwork after a number of delays.

Pacquiao will challenge Matthysse for his world welterweight title at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 15 (July 14 in the US).

The ESPN + stream will start at 21:00. AND with undercard cover and Pacquiao and Matthysse do not walk up to the ring before 11pm. AND. The fight will take place in the morning in Malaysia.

"I am very happy that all my fans in America have the chance to watch my next fight on ESPN +, and I look forward to putting on a show," Pacquiao said. "Matthysse is a great opponent, I'm training with all my heart because I want to become a champion again."

Pacquiao, the former eight-division world champion and senator in the Philippines, will fight for the first time. time since last July, when he lost his world title welterweight by an extremely controversial decision to Jeff Horn in the hometown of Horn, Brisbane, Australia, in the main event of the first card of the long-term contract Top Rank-ESPN

. Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs), 39, will be boxing without Freddie Roach, Hall of Fame coach, whom he shot, for the first time in 17 years – covering 34 fights. His head coach is now his best friend and longtime assistant coach Buboy Fernandez.

Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs), 35, a big hitter from Argentina who arrived in Malaysia earlier this week, claimed a vacant secondary welterweight title on Jan. 27 with a knockout eighth round of the obscure Tewa Kiram of Thailand, after which Pacquiao sought a fight with him.

Pacquiao-Matthysse was initially intended to be an ESPN à la carte event, but when Pacquiao's long-time promoter, MP Promotions, who promotes the card instead of Top Rank, missed many deadlines. pay-per-session industry, the fight was moved to ESPN +.

Top Rank can not promote the map, but manages the US distribution The event.

"This extraordinary event only confirms ESPN's commitment to providing boxing fans with the greatest and best sports fights," said Bob Arum, president of Top Rank. "Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest champions in the history of boxing, and his fight against Matthysse promises to be sensational."

ESPN believes that a fight such as Pacquiao-Matthysse will bring new viewers to its subscription streaming service. "This confrontation is a perfect example of the global caliber of events we envisioned for ESPN + when we announced our agreement with Top Rank," said Burke Magnus, executive vice president of programming and scheduling. # 39; ESPN. "Pacquiao versus Matthysse, which will be broadcast live and exclusively on ESPN +, shows the commitment we have to offer fans the best in boxing all year on our platform direct to consumers."

The ESPN + stream will also include an undercard action

In the same feature film, the 25-year-old Jhack Tepora (21-0, 16 KOs) will face his compatriot Edivaldo "Indio" Ortega (26-1-1 , 12 KOs), 27 years old, Mexican. left-handed, for a vacant interim featherweight title. The former titlist Moruti Mthalane (35-2, 24 KOs), 35, South Africa, and Pakistani Muhammad Waseem (8-0, 6 KOs), 30, will fight for the belt Flyweight World recently released by Donnie Nietes, who decided to go up in weight to seek a title in a fourth weight class.