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Floyd Mayweather has won world titles in five different weight classes and is 50-0 in an unparalleled boxing career but the American could be set for a stunning detour into the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) after signing with Japanese promoters RIZIN Fighting Federation.
The undefeated 41-year-old Mayweather, who last year said his boxing career was over after beating Irish UFC fighter Conor McGregor, has told Reuters he could handle himself in whatever format was agreed for the fight on New Year’s Eve in Saitama.
His opponent is set to be 20-year-old Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa.
Mayweather has never fought professionally under MMA rules and did not specify what format the fight would follow.
He said negotiations were ongoing with Nasukawa’s representatives and that his skill-set did not end at boxing.
“I can wrestle, I can wrestle little bit. I can box a lot,” Mayweather told Reuters in an interview Tokyo on Saturday.
“We will just see. I can do it all. I can do anything if I set my mind to it.”
Nasukawa is contracted to RIZIN and competes in their championships in both MMA and pure kickboxing. He has won all four of his MMA fights.
While boxing rules restrict bouts to the use of fists, MMA rules can incorporate kicks, knees and elbow strikes, as well as wrestling, joint locks and chokes.
Mayweather was confident they would reach an agreement that would suit both fighters.
“I am pretty sure that when I speak with the guys from my team we are going to get on the same page so we can go out there and do what we have to do,” he added.
Mayweather’s fight against McGregor pushed his career earnings to $1 billion, joining American basketball great Michael Jordan and golfer Tiger Woods as the only athletes to have reached 10-figures in earnings, according to Forbes.
Mayweather had said in September that he was coming out of retirement for another fight with Manny Pacquiao after the two of them had been pictured talking at a music festival in Japan.
His decision to sign a deal with RIZIN was all about timing, he said.
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