Mayweather says Pacquiao is 'the best fighter' he ever fought

Six years after their face-off, Floyd Mayweather Jr. recognized Manny Pacquiao's status as one of the elites of boxing.

Speaking on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast released on Monday, Mayweather described Pacquiao as one "hell of a fighter."

"The best fighter I ever fought, probably, was Manny Pacquiao because of his movement," he said.

"I can see why he won many of his fights. I can see why he's going down as a Hall of Famer, because of certain moves he makes," he added.

In the same podcast, Mayweather said the roughest fight he ever had was against Emanuel Augustus, while he described Miguel Cotto as "very physically strong."

Mayweather won his 2015 match for the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, and World Boxing Organization welterweight title belts against Pacquiao via unanimous decision.

Mayweather retired from the professional boxing scene in 2017 and had an unblemished 50-0 record. He is set to fight YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition match scheduled for June 20.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, confirmed that there are ongoing negotiations for his next fight.

Pacquiao last stepped in the ring in 2019 against Keith Thurman. However, his WBA welterweight title was stripped off him because of inactivity.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/MGP, GMA News