Getty
Retired boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his return to combat sports over the weekend. Mayweather, 43, is set to fight on an MMA card on February 28 against an undisclosed opponent at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
Mayweather’s next fight will take place on an MMA fight card dubbed by its promoters as “Mega 2021”.
Last week, Mayweather teased the move via Instagram.
“Tokyo, Japan, I’m coming back in 2021,” Mayweather said in that video. “I know the Olympics is in Japan in 2021, but me, myself, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and my team will be doing something big in Tokyo Dome … Japan, I’m on my way.”
ALL the latest UFC news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on UFC newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on UFC Newsletter!
Mayweather Retired From Boxing in 2017
Mayweather retired after beating UFC superstar Conor McGregor in a boxing match in 2017.
Mayweather also defeated RIZIN kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a boxing match the following year, but that fight didn’t go onto Mayweather’s official boxing record.
Presumedly, Mayweather’s upcoming fight at Mega 2021 would also be an exhibition boxing bout.
Whether it’s a legit fight like Mayweather vs. McGregor was, or whatever Mayweather vs. Tenshin ended up being, it’s likely to take place inside a boxing ring under boxing rules.
However, none of those details have yet to be released.
Follow the Heavy on UFC Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Who Will Mayweather Fight Next?
The most pressing question most fight fans probably have right now is who Mayweather is going to fight.
Earlier reports this year coming out of Japan suggested Mayweather could be on his way to facing former Japanese boxing champion Takashi Uchiyama next.
Uchiyama, 41, retired after successive losses in 2016. Before that, though, Uchiyama held the WBA junior lightweight title from 2010 until 2016, and he made 11 straight title defenses.
Still, it was also suggested by reports earlier this year that Mayweather could be on his way to facing MMA star Mikuru Asakura, one of “two wild, street-fighting brothers” who fight under the RIZIN Fighting Federation’s promotional banner.
Whatever the case, Mayweather isn’t likely to head back into a boxing ring to face any of today’s current boxing champions, and that includes current WBA welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision back in 2015 in the best-selling fight in pay-per-view history.
Most would have expected a rematch by now, but Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 is not likely to happen.
What About Mayweather vs. McGregor 2?
Mayweather stopped McGregor in the 10th round of a superfight boxing match back in August 2017. While the two megastars have both teased that a rematch might be on its way a few times over the last few years, the fight has yet to materialize.
McGregor’s next UFC fight is likely on January 28 against Dustin Poirier.
After that, McGregor plans on fighting Pacquiao in another superfight boxing match.
McGregor announced both those fights via social media, but they’ve yet to become official.
Regardless, most observers expect both the fights to happen next for the Irish superstar, so if Mayweather vs. McGregor 2 is on the way someday, it seems like it will have to wait until the second part of 2021 at the earliest.
READ NEXT: Mike Tyson’s Next Opponent: 5 Fast Facts About Roy Jones Jr.
Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
YouTube: Real Talk with Kelsey and Rachel