Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers will be fighting Floyd Mayweather in his first United Kingdom bout next month after his initial opponent pulled out. The legendary boxer was set to fight Kickboxer Liam Harrison in London on February 25 but the Muay-Thai champion pulled out of the bout at the O2 Arena.
The 50-0 boxer retired from the professional game back in 2017 having never fought outside of America in his professional career. However, Mayweather has travelled the world taking on exhibition bouts - competing in Japan and Dubai multiple times, as well as facing YouTuber Logan Paul in Miami in the summer of 2021.
Chalmers - best known for his stint in MTV's reality show Geordie Shore - has a fighting background in MMA under the Bellator and BAMMA banners, and recently winning his boxing debut.
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“I was originally supposed to face a different opponent, but injuries happen and I’m glad that Aaron Chalmers could step up so that we could give the fans what they want,” Mayweather said told the Mirror. “The fans in the UK have always been great to me and supported me throughout my career, so an event like this has been a long time coming. I’m excited to add more history to The O2 arena in London.”
“I’ve been training with Adam Booth in the boxing gym and I’m eager to make a name for myself in the boxing world,” Chalmers added in a press release. “I jumped on this opportunity immediately. It’s an honour to share the ring with one of the greatest fighters of all time and I’m definitely going to take advantage of it.”
Regarded as one of the best boxers of all time, Mayweather has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best to ever do it, registering victories over the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Marcos Maidana, Conor McGregor and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as a triumph over Ricky Hatton in 2007.
Mayweather hinted earlier in January that the UK Britain would be the next stop on his exhibition tour, saying: "In February, we're looking forward to coming here and putting on an exhibition for the fans in the UK, because I 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.”
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