Floyd Mayweather is set to fight on a helipad in Abu Dhabi according to TMZ. He is set to take on Don Moore in an exhibition boxing match on May 14th.
The card will also feature former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He is set to take on Bruno Machado in an eight round exhibition boxing match.
Mayweather retired from professional boxing with a record of 50-0. He has returned to the ring for two exhibition matches which don’t appear on his official record facing Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018 and Logan Paul last year.
Rizin
Boxing credentials
This will be another exhibition bout although his opponent does have solid boxing credentials. Moore hasn’t fought since 2016 but retired with a record of 18-0-1.
Moore and Mayweather were sparring partners for several years during their professional careers so it remains to be seen how competitive this exhibition bout will be. While the former has taken part in the occasional exhibition bout the latter has been inactive for nearly six years.
Silva is best known for his exploits inside the octagon. But he has made a successful transition to boxing in the twilight of his career and is coming off wins over Julio Chavez Jnr and Tito Ortiz.
Machado is also a mixed martial artist and is based permanently in Abu Dhabi. He doesn’t appear to have any prior boxing experience.
An honour
There will be one boxing match on the card. Badou Jack (25-3-3) is set to take on Hany Atiyo (16-4) in a cruiserweight contest.
In a press release Mayweather was quoted as saying,
“I am always trying to push the envelope and if something is brought to my attention that has a unique aspect to it, I am always interested. Having a fight on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai and the opportunity to be the star of the show is going to be something I will remember always. People all over the world can buy the PPV and watch us fight high above, almost in the sky.”
Silva was quoted as saying it was an ‘honour’ to share a fight card with one of the best boxers of all time,
“I can’t wait to do battle with my countryman in the sky! This will be a great event for all the fighters and the fans and I look forward to putting on a great show for everyone. I am honored to share the card with Floyd Mayweather, a true boxing icon. Dubai is a beautiful place and I thank the organizers for asking me to be part of this epic event.”
