Floyd Mayweather has confirmed plans to take part in an exhibition bout in the UK, pencilling in next month as a possible timeframe for the event.
The legendary boxer had a famous feud that culminated in a massive pay-per-view fight with Ricky Hatton in the 2000s, but never managed to make it out of America during his professional career. However, he was able to make some memorable trips while promoting fights, with iconic press conferences for his bouts with Hatton in Manchester and Conor McGregor in London.
And now Mayweather is keen to compete in the UK, even if it is to be a brief exhibition like his last few outings in Dubai and Japan. He has been taking on MMA stars, YouTubers and low-level boxers in exhibitions around the world since retiring, and wants to make a stop on his tour in England next month.
The legendary boxer told The Telegraph : “A bout is planned in the UK for 2023. In February we’re looking forward to coming here and putting on an exhibition for the fans in the UK, because I’ve never had a chance to come over here and fight when I was actively boxing as a professional – so hopefully in February I’ll come over and do an exhibition if it’s possible.
Mayweather most recently squared off with YouTuber Deji in a farcical contest in Dubai, where he danced around mocking the social media star before stopping him in the sixth. It came weeks after he knocked out MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura in Japan, and after a bout with his old sparring partner Don Moore the previous May.
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Most famously, Mayweather took on American YouTuber Logan Paul in the summer of 2021, with the pair going the eight-round distance at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. It appeared after that bout that he would hang up the gloves entirely, but he was back for three more money-makers in 2022 and seems to be planning more going forward.
It is believed that if Mayweather can get a bout in February that he could return as soon as April, with MMA fighter and influencer boxer Anthony Taylor declaring that he is in talks with the boxing champion. The former Bellator star appeared on the Mayweather vs Deji undercard where he roughed up Love Island star Jack Fincham and unsuccessfully attempted to get a rise out of the legend.