Jonathan Frederic De Santos

American boxer Floyd Mayweather during a visit to the Philippines in 2019. File photo. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES — Floyd Mayweather is coming out of retirement and will return to professional boxing after his exhibition fight with Mike Tyson this spring, the 48-year-old announced Friday.Former multi-weight world champion Mayweather retired from boxing in 2017, unbeaten in 50 bouts, though he has appeared in several exhibition fights since.&quot;I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing,&quot; Mayweather, said in a statement to AFP.&quot;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 — then (sic) my events.&quot;A first professional fight is tentatively scheduled for this summer, against an opponent to be announced.Details will be revealed &quot;in the coming weeks,&quot; said the statement.Nicknamed &quot;Money&quot;, Mayweather was once the world&#x27;s highest-paid athlete, with earnings of $300 million in 2015, according to Forbes.At his peak he was widely considered boxing&#x27;s pound-for-pound king, dominating the welterweight division for more than a decade.Despite his success, Mayweather has long been a controversial figure.He was often criticized for an overly defensive style, and accused by some of dodging the most dangerous opponents simply to embellish his record.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/1/5/pacquiao-recognized-as-sporting-icon-in-dubai-summit-1610">Pacquiao recognized as sporting icon in Dubai summit </a></div>Mayweather has also spent time in prison for one of a string of domestic violence incidents.But his supreme fitness, work ethic, athleticism and boxing brain earnt him the respect of his peers in the ring.Mayweather&#x27;s last professional bout was in 2017 against UFC star Conor McGregor.He has continued to appear in exhibitions, including a victory over John Gotti III in Mexico in August 2024, as well as bouts with reality television stars and YouTube fighters.Mayweather has signed an exclusive agreement with promoter CSI Sports/Fight Sports, to begin following his Tyson bout.Boxing outlet Ring Magazine recently reported that Mayweather&#x27;s exhibition fight with Tyson will take place on April 25th in the Congo, though neither date nor location has been officially confirmed.&quot;Iron Mike&quot; Tyson, 59, last appeared in the ring in a lopsided loss to YouTuber-turned prizefighter Jake Paul in November 2024 in Texas.Tyson barely landed a punch in that Netflix-backed bout, which was watched by a live crowd of around 70,000 spectators with an estimated millions more tuning in around the world.

Former multi-weight world champion Mayweather retired from boxing in 2017, unbeaten in 50 bouts, though he has appeared in several exhibition fights since.

Former multi-weight world champion Mayweather retired from boxing in 2017, unbeaten in 50 bouts, though he has appeared in several exhibition fights since.

Floyd Mayweather to come out of retirement

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Floyd Mayweather to come out of retirement

Agence France-Presse

Published Feb 21, 2026 10:15 AM PHT

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Updated Feb 21, 2026 11:37 AM PHT

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