Floyd Mayweather will definitely be facing Mikuru Asakura in an exhibition boxing match. That fight will take place on a Rizin card lasted this year.
But the American could be set to return to the ring for one final money spinning professional fight. The Sun reports that he is in negotiations for a rematch with UFC star Conor McGregor.
Apparently this will not be an exhibition match. The two first fought in 2017 and the event generated huge revenue for everyone involved although it turned out to be a bit of a mismatch.
Mayweather holds a 50-0 professional record and is the best boxer of the century. McGregor has won UFC titles in two divisions but is 0-1 inside the squared circle having lost his one and only fight to date.
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Fading stars
That won’t stop people buying the pay per view of purchasing tickets although neither man is quite as big a star as they were in 2017. McGregor has lost his last two UFC fights while Mayweather has cruised through a series of recent exhibition bouts while barely breaking sweat.
Mayweather famously destroyed Tenshin Nasukawa in a brutal mismatch on a Rizin card in 2020. The gulf in experience was immediately apparent as the multiple time boxing world champion won comfortably inside the opening round.
While Tenshin typically competes at around 126lbs McGregor has held UFC titles at 150 and 170lbs. He is bigger than Mayweather and did manage to win the first three rounds on one judge’s scorecard, although he was well behind by the time the fight was stopped.
In North America 4.3 million people purchased the pay per view. The total global revenue for the fight between Mayweather and McGregor was around $600 million USD so it is easy to see why the two men would be tempted to roll it back.
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Big payday
McGregor remains the most marketable star on the UFC roster and would need Dana White’s blessing to switch codes for a second time. Although he is coming off two TKO losses a fight involving the Irishman is still likely to be a lucrative affair.
McGregor hasn’t won a fight since 2020 while Mayweather hasn’t lost a fight in his life. The rematch is nowhere near as attractive a proposition as the first fight was five years ago.
But it would represent a big payday for both men and a last chance to step back into the spotlight. While it won’t be as big a fight as it was in 2017 this contest could generate a lot of money for everyone involved so don’t be surprised to see it happen.
