Mayweather-Pacquiao belt: $1m diamond-encrusted title will be given to the winner

Only a belt worth more than $1m is befitting of the occasion

Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the World Boxing Council, holds up the $1m Emerald Belt (AP)

It is the richest fight in boxing history after all.

Here is the extraordinary diamond-encrusted WBC belt which cost more than $1m to create that the winner of Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao will take home after their long-awaited welterweight contest in Las Vegas on 2 May.

In a statement the WBC said: "This exquisite masterpiece is especially designed by the World Boxing Council, for a unique bout that is already gracing the pages of boxing history.

"In order to appropriately recognise the winner of this titanic and epic event on May 2, emeralds have triumphed.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao went head-to-head last month (GETTY IMAGES)

"The World Boxing Council is very grateful to the multitude of fans that participated in this process, voting on our web page, to choose the historic belt Mayweather or Pacquiao will proudly possess."

A close up of the diamond encrusted belt (EPA)

The combined purse for the bout is expected to top $300m (£201m), with Mayweather receiving a 60/40 favour of the split.

Unbeaten Mayweather, 38, is an 11-time, five-weight world champion, while the Filipino Pacquiao, 36, has won versions of the world title at a record eight different weights.