Australian Jeff Horn's fight with Manny Pacquiao is off, with the boxing great's promoter confirming he will seek a lucrative bout in the United Arab Emirates.
The Filipino legend tweeted on Thursday that he and his team are in negotiations with Englishman Amir Khan for his next fight.
"My team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next fight. Further announcement coming soon."" Pacquiao tweeted, accompanied by a picture of he and Khan.
Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum confirmed his camp has reneged on negotiations with Horn.
"The Australian deal is not going to happen now because Manny is trying to get a fight done in the United Arab Emirates," Arum told ESPN.
"The people there favour him fighting Amir Khan."
Welterweight Horn's fight with the Filipino great was slated for April with Brisbane a likely venue but it appears Khan is Pacquiao's preferred opponent.
Duco Events, the organisers of the Horn-Pacquiao fight, remain on standby.
"We have nothing to say and we are just waiting to see what develops because, in this business, things change all the time," a Duco spokesman told AAP.
Arum has some concerns about the 38-year-old's decision to line up a fight with Khan.
"Whether it will happen or not I just don't know because they have to come up with a large amount of money," Arum said.
"Manny seems to believe they will come up with the money. I have some reservations whether it will happen or not. If the money comes up I will aid and abet the fight happening."
Soon after being announced in January, clouds have hovered over Horn's dream fight.
Pacquiao's advisor Michael Koncz fronted media in Abu Dhabi this month to claim his next fight would take place in the UAE.
Koncz even went as far as apologising to the Australian public for the confusion, explaining that the UAE was always the first preference and Brisbane was merely a "back-up plan".
Pacquiao also tweeted, "see you in UAE for my next fight" earlier this month.
The 38-year-old then polled Twitter users on who he should next fight, with Khan the preferred option.
The Horn-Pacquiao fight would have been one of the biggest in Australian boxing history, with the Queensland government backing the push for Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium to host.
Reports Khan had reached an agreement with promoter Bob Arum to fight Pacquiao surfaced this week, but Arum dismissed the speculation as "bulls**t."
However, Koncz confirmed Horn was but one of a number of candidates for Pacquiao's next fight.
Pacquiao and Khan are former training partners, with the Englishman's representatives reportedly meeting Arum last month.
AAP wab/TK