Floyd Mayweather schedules pay-per-view exhibition bout on helipad in Dubai
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Floyd Mayweather is making a comeback — for another exhibition bout.
The former pound-for-pound king and five-division world champion will face “Dangerous” Don Moore in an eight-round exhibition bout on May 14. It will take place outdoors on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The fight, which will be steamed via pay-per-view on the LIVENow streaming service, was announced at a news conference at Miami hotel on Thursday. The weight limit for the bout was not announced.
The card, the first of what organizers are calling “The Global Titans Fight Series,” will also include UFC legend Anderson Silva facing Brazilian countryman Bruno Machado in a boxing exhibition bout and former super middleweight and light heavyweight world titlist Badou Jack (25-3-3, 15 KOs) facing Dubai-based Egyptian Hany Atiyo (16-4, 12 KOs) in an official cruiserweight fight.
“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,” Mayweather said. “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.”
The bout will be the third exhibition bout for Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs), 45, of Las Vegas, since he retired following a 10th-round knockout of UFC star Conor McGregor in August 2017 in the second-biggest pay-per-view event in history behind Mayweather’s welterweight unification fight with Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
Mayweather’s other two exhibitions:
On Dec. 31, 2018, he pocketed at least $9 million for a first-round destruction of the much smaller Japanese kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa in what was a scheduled three-rounder at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, just outside of Tokyo.
On June 6, 2021, Mayweather faced YouTube personality Logan Paul and they went the eight-round distance with no winner announced in the main event of a Showtime PPV bout at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The event reportedly generated more than $1 million buys.
In Moore (18-0-1, 12 KOs), of Gary, Indiana, Mayweather will face an opponent he has used as a sparring partner. Moore turned pro in 1999 and has not fought since 2016. Although he is unbeaten, all of his fights have been scheduled for either four or six rounds except one eight-rounder and he has faced extraordinarily low-level opposition. None of his foes have had a winning record. His five most recent opponents had records of 5-16-1, 6-14, 5-9, 6-22 and 12-41-4.
“I am excited to participate in this event,” Moore said. “Because of how much of the same training I received from (Floyd’s late uncle) Roger Mayweather, I am gonna be able to give Floyd real problems. I have been training hard to show everyone what ‘Dangerous’ Don Moore is all about and expose Floyd’s weaknesses. This is my shot. The time is now. Floyd isn’t invincible. Anyone can be beaten.”
Organizers also announced that all tickets to the event will be sold as NFTs.
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ZZZZZZZZZZZ….. here’s a hefty spoonful of who gives a shit. Floyd’s a grifter, and nobody needs to care about his nonsense anymore, particularly when he’s in the ring.
💰🤑...🥱😴...