Las Vegas, USA – February 21, 2026 – Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is officially coming out of retirement and will return to professional boxing following his upcoming exhibition fight with Mike Tyson this spring, the 48-year-old announced on Friday.
The former multi-weight world champion, who retired from professional boxing in 2017 with an unblemished record of 50-0, has continued to appear in exhibition matches over the years. However, his latest announcement signals a genuine return to the professional ranks that made him one of the wealthiest and most celebrated athletes in sporting history.
“I Still Have What It Takes”
In a statement released to AFP, Mayweather expressed confidence in his ability to compete at the highest level once again. “I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing,” he declared.
“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,” Mayweather added, displaying the characteristic self-assurance that earned him the nickname “Money.”
According to the statement, Mayweather’s first professional fight is tentatively scheduled for this summer, with his opponent yet to be announced. Further details will be revealed “in the coming weeks.”
A Controversial yet Dominant Legacy
Nicknamed “Money,” Mayweather was once the world’s highest-paid athlete, with Forbes estimating his 2015 earnings at an astonishing $300 million. At his peak, he was widely regarded as boxing’s pound-for-pound king, dominating the welterweight division for more than a decade with a combination of defensive mastery, athletic brilliance, and tactical genius.
Despite his unparalleled success inside the ring, Mayweather has long been a polarizing figure. Critics frequently pointed to his overly defensive fighting style and accused him of cherry-picking opponents to protect his unblemished record. Outside the ring, his legacy has been marred by legal troubles, including time served in prison for domestic violence incidents.
Nevertheless, his supreme fitness, relentless work ethic, and boxing intelligence earned him the respect of peers and cemented his place among the sport’s all-time greats.
Exhibition Career and the Tyson Bout
Mayweather’s last professional bout was the lucrative 2017 crossover clash with UFC star Conor McGregor, which he won by tenth-round stoppage. Since then, he has remained active through exhibition matches, including a victory over John Gotti III in Mexico in August 2024, as well as bouts with reality television personalities and YouTube fighters.
The upcoming exhibition with Mike Tyson is scheduled to take place on April 25 in the Congo, according to boxing outlet Ring Magazine, though neither the date nor location has been officially confirmed by Mayweather’s camp.
Tyson, 59, last appeared in the ring in November 2024, suffering a lopsided loss to YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul in Texas. That Netflix-backed bout drew a live crowd of approximately 70,000 spectators and millions more watching globally, though Tyson barely landed a punch throughout the contest.
New Promotional Partnership
Mayweather has signed an exclusive agreement with promoter CSI Sports/Fight Sports, which will take effect following his Tyson exhibition. The partnership is expected to oversee his professional comeback and future events.
What’s Next for “Money”
As the boxing world digests the news of Mayweather’s return, speculation will inevitably focus on potential opponents. Names from the current welterweight landscape, as well as crossover stars from MMA and other combat sports, are likely to emerge as contenders for the lucrative opportunity to share the ring with one of boxing’s biggest draws.
For Mayweather, the comeback represents more than a chance to add to his legacy—it is an opportunity to once again demonstrate that, even at 48, “Money” still generates the biggest gates, the largest audiences, and the most money in the business.
