Manny Pacquiao vs Brandon Rios in Macau

Former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, seeking to get his mojo back after being knocked out cold by rival Juan Manuel Marquez in December, will return to action to face brawler Brandon Rios this fall, Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz told ESPN.com on Monday. The fight, the first for Filipino icon Pacquiao outside the United States since 2006, will take place at the CotaiArena at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau, China on Nov. 24, which is Nov. 23 in the United States.

The fighters have both agreed to terms and the contracts are being finalized, according to Koncz and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. Pacquiao agreed to terms last week and Koncz, who is traveling to the Philippines to see him, said he is bringing him the paperwork. Arum said Rios agreed to terms on Monday morning.

Koncz said that Pacquiao will face Rios at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds in a scheduled 12-round fight that will be televised on HBO PPV in the United States.

Because of the 12-hour time difference between Macau and the United States the pay-per-view will take place in the morning in Macau for a normal primetime telecast in the U.S.

"People know what Rios brings to the table," Arum said. "People want to see a real fight and that is what you get with Rios. We're building a business in Macau and China and these are the kinds of fights -- real action fights -- that they want to see."

Rios, a former lightweight titlist, has had his last two fights at junior welterweight and split a pair of all-action battles with Mike Alvarado. Rios knocked out Alvarado in the seventh round in an October barn-burner and lost a close unanimous decision to him in a March 30 rematch, which was for a vacant interim junior welterweight title, that is the leading fight of the year candidate.

"I think it's a good match. People who watch boxing have differing views of the sport," Arum said. "Some like to see an artistic performance like Floyd Mayweather gave [against Robert Guerrero on Saturday night] and other people like to see two guys knocking the s--- out of each other. Me, I love a match when the guys go after each other and throw bombs. That's my preference. It doesn't mean it's the right preference, but this is one of those kinds of fights."

Although Rios (31-1-1, 23 KOs), 27, of Oxnard, Calif., is coming off a defeat, Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs) picked him to fight, Koncz said.

Read the full ESPN story here.