Floyd Mayweather Jr says his next fight is going to be in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and that he will make an announcement “very soon.”

British TV host of the program “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” Robin Peach who writes in the Las Vegas weekly and is considered a gossip columnist, said he and Mayweather met at the Del Mar racetrack just north of San Diego where they presented awards to the winners.

Leach said that Mayweather told him he would make an announcement on his next fight “very soon” but that  “this time it won’t be in Vegas. It will be in another desert kingdom: Dubai.”

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz brushed off Mayweather’s posturing and told the Inquirer from Las Vegas that he personally hadn’t heard the story but felt it was another ploy.

Koncz himself was recently in the United Arab Emirates and met with Sports Authority officials representing the Royal Family in Abu Dhabi after he and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had initial discussions with representatives of the Royal Family in Las Vegas.

Koncz who spent a week in Abu Dhabi working on staging the Pacquiao-Antonio Margarity showdown on November 13 in the United Arab Emirates said the Sports Authority officials didn’t have sufficient time to study the multi-million dollar proposal but that he was confident a Pacquiao fight could take place in the oil-rich kingdom in the future.

He said it was very likely considering there are over 420,000 Filipinos working in the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi often stages big sports events including the Formula I Grand Prix races. .

Meantime Koncz, apparently on his own initiative, said he plans to “ to make representations” with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to find out whether the planned November 13 bout between Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito can be held in Las Vegas.

Congressman Pacquiao who was attending the sessions yesterday afternoon told chief-of-staff Franklin “Jeng” Gacal to inform us that he had not given Koncz any instructions to make representations with the NSAC.

Koncz who attended the Miss Universe beauty pageant at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel & Casino and joined a large number of Filipinos who cheered for Miss. Philippines Venus Raj who finished fourth runner-up to Miss. Mexico Jimena Navarrete said,  the audience turned the contest into a Mexico-Philippines battle just like the fights between Pacquiao and a series of Mexican legends all of whom he beat. But this time it was the other way around.

Pacquiao himself had told Venus Raj during a courtesy call prior to her departure that he would call his many friends in the US to attend and support Miss. Philippines which they apparently did, travelling from all across the United States to Las Vegas.

Koncz  said he had lunch with officials of Mandalay Bay who also want the Pacquiao-Margarito fight to be held in Las Vegas and provide even a short-lived economic boom in a tough time.

Koncz claimed that if the Margarito showdown for the vacant WBC light middleweight title will be held in Las Vegas it would mean more money for Pacquiao.

However, there’s no word from NSAC executive director Keith Kizer on whether Koncz’ efforts to discuss the issue with the Commission members would be entertained since it would effectively mean asking the NSAC to grant Margarito a license.

Koncz disclosed that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is on vacation in Italy but that he would talk to him on Tuesday, Manila Time.

Both men had previously stated they were confident Margarito would be given a license to fight by the Texas Commission and that the fight would be held at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium after Arum and owner Jerry Jones had met over dinner in Dallas.

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