Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced in February 2026 that he will end his retirement and return to professional boxing following his spring 2026 exhibition bout with Mike Tyson. The announcement, made just days before Mayweather’s 49th birthday, includes an exclusive promotional agreement with CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS to manage his next professional fights. Mayweather reiterated confidence in his ability to draw massive gates and global broadcast audiences, while recent reporting has linked the Tyson exhibition to an April 25 date in the Democratic Republic of Congo—an item ESPN could not independently confirm. The comeback follows Mayweather’s 2017 retirement at age 40 with a 50-0 record and a recent slate of exhibition contests and business disputes, including a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Showtime.
Key takeaways
- Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced he will un-retire and resume professional boxing after a spring 2026 exhibition with Mike Tyson, announced in September 2025.
- Mayweather signed an exclusive promotional deal with CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS to handle his upcoming professional events.
- The Tyson exhibition has been reported for April 25, 2026, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but that date and venue remain unconfirmed by major outlets.
- Mayweather retired in August 2017 after a knockout win over Conor McGregor, finishing with a 50-0 pro record and 27 stoppage victories.
- He has participated in exhibitions against Logan Paul, Mikuru Asakura and John Gotti III since retiring from pro competition.
- Mayweather filed a lawsuit in February 2026 claiming at least $340 million owed from prior payouts; the figure is from his legal filing.
- The move raises immediate commercial questions about broadcast partners, pay-per-view distribution and regulatory approval for any professional contests.
Background
Floyd Mayweather built a legacy as one of boxing’s most commercially successful and technically accomplished fighters, retiring after his August 2017 win over Conor McGregor with a spotless 50-0 record and 27 stoppages. Since leaving pro competition, he has staged multiple exhibition bouts that mixed entertainment with sporting display—most notably against Logan Paul and more recently against fighters such as Mikuru Asakura and John Gotti III. Those exhibition events have blurred lines between sport and spectacle, generating substantial gates and pay-per-view interest while avoiding official records and some regulatory scrutiny.
The Tyson exhibition was first announced in September 2025, part of a broader trend of high-profile crossover and exhibition matchups that target global audiences and new markets. Promoters and streaming platforms have chased large live gates and international sponsorships, and reports tying the April 25 date to the Democratic Republic of Congo reflect promoters’ interest in staging events outside traditional venues. Meanwhile, Mayweather’s legal action against Showtime—seeking at least $340 million—has added a business-layer subplot to his return.
Main event
The central news element is Mayweather’s written statement that he will convert the promotional momentum from the Tyson exhibition into a renewed pro career under an exclusive deal with CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS. CSI co-founders Richard and Craig Miele framed the signing as part of a plan to deliver the sport’s highest-grossing events and largest global audiences. The agreement appears designed to centralize Mayweather’s promotional output and to position future fights as marquee commercial properties rather than single-event spectacles.
Details about immediate opponents, athletic commission approvals, weight classes or sanctioning-body recognition were not included in the announcement. The lack of a named broadcaster or confirmed international partner for the Tyson event leaves distribution questions open—critical for converting global interest into broadcast revenue. Mayweather’s management will need to secure television or streaming partners and regulatory clearances before any professional bout can take place under sanction.
Mayweather emphasized commercial metrics in his statement—promising bigger gates, larger global audiences and higher revenue per event than any contemporaries. Those ambitions track his past business model, which blended boutique matchmaking with premium pricing, sponsorships and pay-per-view windows. If realized, the strategy would rely heavily on international staging, sponsorships and a willingness by networks or platforms to underwrite large guarantees.
Analysis & implications
Commercially, Mayweather’s comeback is aimed at monetizing his long-established brand and the attention surrounding a Tyson exhibition. Promoters see value in coupling nostalgia with novelty: Mayweather’s unbeaten legacy and Tyson’s enduring name recognition remain powerful ticket and pay-per-view drivers. For rights holders, the risk is balancing hefty guarantees and production costs against uncertain viewership in a crowded global streaming market.
Sporting credibility is a separate matter. Mayweather would re-enter competitive pro boxing at age 49, facing a cohort of much younger active fighters. Athletic commissions will evaluate medical clearances, matchmaking legitimacy and risk to opponents—factors that often shape whether a comeback is permitted and under what conditions. Previous comebacks in boxing and mixed rules bouts show that regulators can impose age, medical and contractual limits.
Politically and geopolitically, staging a high-profile event outside traditional boxing capitals—reports point to the Democratic Republic of Congo—reflects promoters’ interest in new markets and potential governmental cooperation. That strategy can yield elevated gate receipts and unique sponsorships but also raises logistical, regulatory and reputational questions that promoters must manage carefully. Broadcasters and sponsors will assess those risks when deciding whether to back the event.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Mayweather (pro career) | Selected comeback examples |
|---|---|---|
| Pro record | 50-0 (27 KOs) | Pacquiao returned to pro boxing in 2024; results varied |
| Retirement age | 40 (retired 2017) | Boxers returning often ranged 36–45 |
| Announced comeback age | 49 (2026) | Typical returns: late 30s to early 40s |
| Reported purse claim | Mayweather lawsuit: at least $340M owed | Top-tier gates/PV figures historically exceed tens of millions |
The table frames Mayweather’s numbers against typical return patterns: his 50-0 record and 27 stoppages remain unchanged, but his comeback at 49 sits well above the vintage range of most returning champions. That increases the likelihood of exhibition-style matchmaking or specially negotiated bouts rather than standard sanctioned title paths. Financially, Mayweather’s track record of generating large gates and pay-per-view buys underpins promoter confidence, but converting global attention into sustainable revenue will depend on confirmed broadcasting partners and market access.
Reactions & quotes
Promoters at CSI Sports positioned the signing as a strategic effort to deliver blockbuster events to worldwide audiences and to marshal Mayweather’s commercial reach into a sustained run of high-profile fights.
“Floyd will once again continue to dominate boxing with the biggest audience and highest gross events of all time,”
Richard and Craig Miele, CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS (promoters)
Mayweather framed the move as a continuation of his record-setting approach to the sport, focusing on gates, global audiences and revenue per event rather than immediate sporting stakes.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing,”
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (fighter)
Observers in the boxing business noted the deal’s commercial logic while underscoring outstanding practical questions—broadcast windows, commission approvals and opponent selection—that will determine if the comeback is primarily commercial or competitive.
“The business case is obvious; the regulatory and matchmaking work is where the details will be decided,”
Industry analyst (boxing rights and promotions)
Unconfirmed
- The April 25, 2026 date and the Democratic Republic of Congo venue for the Tyson exhibition have appeared in reports but were not confirmed by ESPN or named broadcasters.
- No broadcast partner or network has been publicly established to carry the Tyson exhibition or subsequent Mayweather professional fights.
- Potential matchups—such as a professional rematch with Manny Pacquiao—remain speculative and unannounced.
Bottom line
Mayweather’s announcement marks a pivot from exhibition spectacle toward a promoted professional return backed by CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS. The move is primarily commercial: it leverages Mayweather’s brand power to chase gates, sponsorships and global broadcast audiences rather than immediate sporting reinvention. Realizing those aims will require confirmed broadcasters, regulatory approvals, and careful matchmaking to balance competitive integrity and medical safety.
For fans and the sport, the coming weeks should clarify three things to watch: whether the Tyson exhibition proceeds on the reported April 25 date and in the reported location, which networks or platforms secure distribution rights, and how athletic commissions and potential opponents respond to a 49-year-old Mayweather seeking sanctioned professional bouts. Those answers will determine whether this is a short-term commercial run or the start of a sustained competitive return.