Even though they won’t appear on his official professional record, Floyd Mayweather is still dominating boxing fights.
On Sunday’s Rizin Fighting Federation event in Saitama, Japan, the great boxer stopped Japanese MMA fighter and YouTuber Mikuru Asakura with a powerful right hand towards the end of the second round. Since his retirement from professional fighting, Mayweather has played in two exhibition matches this year, including one in Japan.
According to reports, Mayweather will earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million for the three-round fight. An old rival of Mayweather’s, Manny Pacquiao, was present.
Afterward, Mayweather remarked, “I would like to thank the whole country of Japan. “Unbelievable people and an unbelievable nation. a remarkable and energetic gathering. Let’s give this fantastic competitor right here a round of applause.”
Asakura had some success in the second round after an unremarkable first round in which he connected on a few heads blows to Mayweather’s head with lefts and rights from a southpaw posture.
But Mayweather, one of the all-time great boxers and the highest-earning athlete in combat sports, answered back with some powerful blows of his own. Prior to the finish, he landed hard to the body and then positioned Asakura for the decisive right at the start of the second round.
Asakura took a while to stand up, and after the second round, referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight before either boxer reached his corner.
Mayweather thanked the crowd for having him. I promise to return.
In his postfight remarks, Mayweather, 45, recognized Pacquiao’s presence and bizarrely referred to him as a “future” world champion. Prior to and after the show, Pacquiao, 43, spoke to the crowd.
Asakura, 30, allegedly traveled to the Philippines before the fight to seek Pacquiao’s counsel on how to compete against Mayweather. In addition, Pacquiao said that he was there to encourage Asian combat sports. Afterward, Pacquiao expressed his desire to be called back twice, leading the analysts to believe that Rizin, Mayweather, and Pacquiao may be planning something.
Pacquiao remarked, “I hope this is not my final invitation to watch a good fight, a nice display.
A weird incident occurred before the fight when a man who was supposed to offer Mayweather flowers, as is customary in Japan for combat sports, instead threw the bouquet down on the mat.
Mayweather entered the ring donning a jersey bearing the number 50, which represented his 50-0 professional record.
Tenshin Nasukawa, a Japanese kickboxing prodigy, was defeated by Mayweather in December 2019 after three knockdowns. Nasukawa weighs about 120 pounds when competing. Despite there being no official contracted weight, Asakura was significantly heavier on Saturday than Mayweather.
Mayweather’s bodyguard Ray “Jizzy Mack” Sadeghi was knocked out in a boxing contest by 135-pound kickboxer Kouzi in a match that was part of the undercard to the Mayweather vs. Asakura main event. Sadeghi outweighed Kouzi in the ring despite there being no weigh-in.
Mayweather fought Don Moore in an exhibition showdown in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in May. Although no opponent has been announced, Mayweather has claimed he will compete in another exhibition fight in the Middle East before the year is up.