Floyd Mayweather Jr v Manny Pacquiao: UAE consortium's $200m plan for richest fight in boxing history

A consortium of investors is ready to pay $200m to get Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in the ring together.

Talk of a showdown between the two welterweight kings has heightened after Pacquiao's comfortable victory over Chris Algieri in November.

While the two are long-term adversaries, efforts to secure the fight the boxing world has been waiting for have failed over the years, with disagreements over the split of the fight's purse and demands for random Olympic-style blood testing derailing such plans.

But the United Arab Emirates-based consortium now insists money will be no object and hope to have a deal in place soon.

Speaking to Boxing Scene on the behalf of the group, boxing executive M Akbar Muhammad said: "I've been instructed by the group to do whatever it takes to bring this long-awaited and eagerly anticipated fight to fruition. There is absolutely no doubt that each fighter, individually, will receive more money than any other boxer has in the past.

"The combined purses offered are approaching €200m. And, rest assured, we have the resources to do just that."

Muhammad, a former senior vice president of Pacquiao's promoters Top Rank, is also hoping the huge deal will spark a long-term relationship with Mayweather Promotions.

"We want to be a part of Mr Mayweather's historic march to 50-0, no matter where the fights may take place," he continued.

"We also envision that future fight cards in this part of the world, regardless if Mr Mayweather fights on them or not, will be done with Mayweather Promotions as the lead promoter."

Should a meeting between Mayweather and Pacquiao be confirmed, it is likely to take place in April or May 2015.

In the past week, the welterweight veterans have been embroiled in an online spat, sparked by five-weight world champion Mayweather who posted a video on Instagram of Pacquiao being knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in their 2012 bout.

WBO champion Pacquiao responded with a message of his own, telling Mayweather to "stop throwing punches on Instagram and let's get in the ring".