While the eyes of the sporting world are focused on the main boxing event on May 2, the welterweight world championship unification bout between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao which fans have been waiting half a decade to see, those who were not able to buy (or could afford to buy) MGM Grand tickets that were sold out in a minute have the option to catch the fight via PPV or in cinemas, bars and hotels.  To those who opt to buy PPV, the great news is that not only can they watch the fight from the comfort of their homes; the PPV undercard also includes a pair of fights featuring two of boxing’ most talented and exciting stars today
.
ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC), the exclusive distributor of the fight in the Middle East, shared the good news that those viewing the fight via PPV on TFC.tv, on the following cable networks OSN, eLifeTV and Du  and inNovo Cinemas and partner bars and hotels can watch the top undercards on May 3, Middle East time: WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz of Mexico (29-0-1, 17 KOs) faces countryman brawler Jose Cayetano (17-3, 8 KOs) and WBO Featherweight World Champion Vasyl Lomachenkoof Ukraine (3-1, 1 KO) takes on Puerto Rican contender Gamalier Rodriguez (25-2-3, 17 KOs.
The 26-year-old Santa Cruz will be making his second appearance on a Floyd Mayweather PPV undercard. Thetwo-division world champion has defended his super bantamweight title numerous times in such powerful fashion, earning for him a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in the world.  His opponent, Cayetano, turned pro in 2009 and sprinted to a 10-0 record before dropping a narrow split decision to Ruben Tamayo in 2011.

He is hungry for an impressive victory after recently dropping a decision to Enrique Bernache in February.The 27-year-old Lomachenko, on the other hand, is regarded as one of the top amateur boxers in history, having lost just once in 397 fights. He holds two Olympic gold medals, two Amateur National Championships, and won the WBO Featherweight crown via unanimous decision against Gary Russell, Jr. in just his third professional fight.His opponent, Rodriguez, is an accomplished veteran from Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The 28-year-old Rodriguez has not lost a fight since 2009 and has 17 consecutive victories since a technical draw in 2010. He won twice in 2014, picking up a unanimous decision victory over Orlando Cruz and a second round TKO over Martin Cardona.

New commercials and celebrity bettingMeanwhile, companies and celebrities are capitalizing on the global interest in what is billed as the “Fight of the Century”. The world saw the recent debut of two Pacquiao commercials. Foot Locker released its “It’ Really Happening” ad which shows Pacquiao at his adorable, comedic, best.  In this second commercial he has done for the brand, Pacquiao gets really confused if the fight is on or it’ all just a Foot Locker ad.  Uploaded on youtube just four days ago, it now has over 2 million views and has generated thousands of articles, blogs and shares.

Pacquiao scored likewise with a Nike video that is part of the brand’ “Inner Strength” series that takes an in-depth look of athletes preparing for competition.  In the video shot in black-and-white, Pacquiao brings his fans into his training, his life and his deep thoughts. 

Previous installments in the series have featured world-class golfer Rory Mcllroy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQmDISgjry8and top NFL prospect Marcus Mariotahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRIS1VsxFfo.

Also hugging the sports headlines are rapper, producer and entrepreneur P. Diddy and actor Mark Wahlberg who just backed up their boxers via a $250,000 bet on social media.  Diddy is for Team Mayweather while Wahlberg is for Team Pacquiao. The pair announced the wager via a video posted to Diddy’ Instagram account. Sitting by a swimming pool, Diddy initially proposes a $100,000 bet, to which Wahlberg responds, “Why so little?”.  And so the ante is upped to $250,000.  Diddy had posted (and boasted) in 2013 about losing a $1 million bet to rapper Rick Ross while shooting dice.Don’t miss the chance to be part of history and witness the fight for only USD 34 via TFC.tv in the Middle East (May 3 at 4 a.m. in KSA and 5 a.m. in UAE). 

For more information on how and where else to watch the “Pacquiao Mayweather Fight of the Century,” visit http://mayweathervspacquiao.me