By Peter Omopo
Former multi-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather has announced he will come out of retirement this year for his first official professional fight in nearly ten years.
The 48-year-old’s return was confirmed on Friday by his new promotion, CSI Sports/Fight Sports. His opponent for the professional bout has yet to be announced.
Before stepping back into the professional ring, Mayweather is scheduled to face fellow boxing legend Mike Tyson in an exhibition fight. The date and venue for that event are still to be disclosed.
In a statement published on his promotion’s website, Mayweather expressed confidence in his drawing power and continued relevance in the sport.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing, from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards. No one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event than my events,” he said.
This marks Mayweather’s fourth return from retirement, following previous comebacks in 2007, 2015 and 2017. His last professional bout came in 2017 when he defeated former UFC champion Conor McGregor to extend his unbeaten record to 50-0.
Over a career spanning three decades, Mayweather defeated several top fighters of his era and headlined three of the highest-grossing bouts in boxing history against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez. At his peak, he was widely regarded as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best, dominating the welterweight division for years.
Although he has not fought professionally since 2017, Mayweather has remained active in exhibition bouts, including a win over John Gotti III in Mexico in August 2024.
His return is expected to generate significant attention within the boxing world, as fans await details of both the exhibition with Tyson and his upcoming professional contest.
