Horn's Promoter: Pacquiao Felt Pressure, Chasing Fantasy Offer

Duco Events’ Dean Lonergan, who had secured multimillion-dollar backing from the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and Suncorp Stadium to stage a fight between his star, 2012 Australian Olympian Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, is not worried with the Filipino superstar ditching those plans for a fight with Amir Khan in UAE.

Pacquiao announced on Wednesday that he was "in negotiations" to face Khan, after weeks of conflicting reports over his next bout.

"My team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next fight. Further announcements coming soon," Pacquiao, 38, said on his official Twitter feed.

Pacquiao's post follows various accounts from different sources over who he will be facing next and where the fight will be held.

Last month, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank was widely quoted as saying the Filipino would next face Australia's Jeff Horn in April, although Pacquiao's aides insisted nothing had been confirmed.

A business adviser of the fighter nicknamed "Pac-man" said  this week that his next opponent would "most likely" be Khan in Dubai, but other aides declined to comment.

Pacquiao announced a brief retirement last year but made a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas in November, saying he still felt like a youngster.

According to Arum, a group from UAE is offering $38 million to lure Pacquiao to their region with Khan as the preferred opponent.

But Arum has serious doubts about the offer, and Lonergan agrees with him. The Australian promoter expects that offer to fall flat.

"Manny seems to be very concerned about facing Jeff Horn in front of 55,000 people at Suncorp Stadium,’’ Lonergan said to Courier Mail. "In all likelihood he is chasing rainbows with the [$38 million] offer."

"We have a very substantial offer for Manny to fight Jeff Horn in Brisbane on April 23. It is real money and it remains on the table. We still hope to see him fighting in Brisbane."