Sports

Fighting for fans, not money: Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao: Mayweather fight for the fans
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Manny Pacquiao: Mayweather fight for the fans
Fight of the century
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Fight of the century
Mayweather vs Pacquiao knock out ticket prices
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Mayweather vs Pacquiao knock out ticket prices

Boxer Manny Pacquiao is expected to get at least $80 million for his fight against Floyd Mayweather, but Pacquiao said Thursday he was fighting for his fans, not necessarily for the money.

The highly anticipated welterweight fight takes place on Saturday night in Las Vegas and is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

"I'm not really looking for the money," Pacquiao said in an interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell."

"The money is secondary. Of course we have to earn money for the fight … I say yes because the fans are very eager to see this fight."

Manny Pacquiao
Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images

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He also said he is not nervous about the upcoming bout, an event boxing fans have been demanding for years.

"I'm excited for the fight. I have peace of mind. I'm confident."

While Pacquiao should see at least $80 million from the fight, Mayweather is expected to make $200 million.

They aren't the only ones raking in money. Pay-per-view purchases could generate $300 million, a CNBC analysis found. Tickets for the bought at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas may haul in $70 million, according to The New York Times. Then there are international broadcasts, which could take in $35 million. Licensing fees for closed-circuit broadcasts could fetch $13 million, sponsorship revenue may reach $12 million and $1 million in merchandise could be sold.

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Pacquiao said he plans to give some of his windfall to a foundation in the Philippines to help citizens there. He also bought land in the Philippines to build housing for those in need.

"I already bought the land but the problem is I need money so good thing it's a blessing this fight. I will earn big money and I can build a house for them," he said.

Fight of the century
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Fight of the century

Despite all the anticipation for the match, Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, said there is no pressure to make the fight last long to please the crowd.

"If my guy, Manny Pacquiao, can knock Floyd Mayweather out in the first 30 seconds, he's going to do it," the CEO of the promotional company Top Rank said in an interview with "Power Lunch" Thursday.

"That's the nature of the sport. The fight can go the full 12 rounds or it can end early in the first round and if my guy gets Mayweather in a position in the first round where he can knock him out, he's going to do that. And Floyd would do the same as far as Manny is concerned."

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—CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and Jane Wells contributed to this report.