Floyd Mayweather's exhibition fight against Don Moore this Saturday has been cancelled after UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed has passed away.
Former five-weight world champion Mayweather was scheduled to fight Moore on top of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai this Saturday. The showcase was set to be watched by only 20 spectators as tickets cost £150,000 each.
The entire event has now been cancelled after the passing of Khalifa, but Mirror Fighting understands the exhibition will be rescheduled. The UAE’s ministry of presidential affairs has announced a three-day suspension of work and a 40-day mourning period beginning on Friday.
Khalifa succeeded his father, Sheikh Zayed, as UAE President in 2004. After bailing Dubai out of debt during the emirate's financial crisis, Khalifa oversaw the country’s massive economic growth and his name was immortalised on the Burj Khalifa skyscraper.
Former UFC champion Anderson Silva and top light heavyweight Badou Jack were also scheduled to fight on the event. Katie Taylor's rival Delfine Persoon was booked as the first fight on the the undercard.
Mayweather had suggested he would have earned up to $100 million for the exhibition, telling Fight Hype: "Sixteen minutes and I am able to get eight and nine figures from the fruits of my labour. Once again I am not hurting for my money, I am far from hurting for money. I didn't retire from getting money."
Moore insisted that training with Mayweather's late uncle Roger had given him the "blueprint" on how to beat the boxing legend, despite 'Money' going unbeaten in 50 professional fights.
“Those sparring sessions, every time we sparred, everybody was gripped, they couldn’t wait to see it," Moore said. "It was always competitive, Floyd always had a problem with me and as everybody knows, Roger trained Floyd, but he also trained Don.
"He put me under his wing and I was with him ever since, years and years. He taught me everything I need to know to have the blueprint to honestly, truthfully, do what I have to do to perform and be victorious on May 14th.”
Moore went unbeaten in 19 professional fights but won no world titles in his career. The now-cancelled exhibition against Mayweather was supposed to be his first fight in six years.
