Floyd Mayweather’s next venture will take place in the Manhattan of the Middle East.
The former five-division champion and box office star announced he will be active in establishing a business presence in Dubai in 2022, which may even include a return to the ring of some kind.
“We got a lot going on,” Mayweather said in a video posted on his Instagram account. “2022. Events, exhibitions, and big business. We can’t be stopped. The Money team. Be on the lookout, right here, in Dubai.”
Mayweather declined to offer more details, and it is not clear if by “exhibitions” he means other fighters other than himself – but given the lucrative business he has garnered over the past few years participating in exhibition bouts, it does not seem like a farfetched possibility.
In the video, Mayweather is shown standing on a helicopter pad overlooking Dubai, flanked by two business partners, Frederic Delfosse and Keane Jonas.
Ever since his last official boxing match against Conor McGregor in 2017, Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) has been a familiar face on the exhibition circuit.
Most recently, on June 6 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, Mayweather fought an eight-round exhibition bout against YouTube star Logan Paul that ended up going the distance (Per exhibition rules, no winner was announced.) Mayweather was reportedly guaranteed $10 million, including 50% of the pay-per-view profits; the bout, which aired on Showtime Pay-Per-View, reportedly generated more than $1 million buys.
In December of 2018, Mayweather went over to Tokyo to fight local budding MMA star Tenshin Nasukawa in a three-round exhibition bout. Mayweather ended up knocking down Nasukawa three times in the opening round, prompting Nasukawa’s corner to stop the fight. Mayweather reportedly pocketed $88 million.
Mayweather, 44, has spent more time since his retirement focusing on his promotional label, TMT, which backs Gervonta Davis.
The Middle East has become the unofficial seat of power in boxing in recent years. Most notably, 2019, the Saudi Arabian city of Diriyah hosted the heavyweight championship rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz. Recently, Dubai hosted a Probellum card featuring Sunny Edwards in a defense of his IBF flyweight title against Jayson Mama.
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