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Floyd Mayweather's uncle said he'd easily beat any of UFC's biggest stars if he returned for one more fight

May 4, 2020, 19:25 IST
Insider
Floyd Mayweather.Photo by John Gurzinski / AFP via Getty Image
  • Floyd Mayweather's recent videos in which he is seen hitting heavy bags and sparring, sparked rumors of a return to professional fighting.
  • The former five-weight world champion's uncle, Jeff Mayweather, said he would never return to fight against today's elite welterweight boxers like Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford.
  • However, he could return against one of the top UFC fighters.
  • Jeff Mayweather said his nephew could return and fight Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov "on the same day."
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
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Floyd Mayweather's uncle said nobody knows if he's going to return to boxing but he'd beat the top fighters from the UFC if he did.

Mayweather retired from professional fighting with a flawless 50-0 record when he finished the UFC striker Conor McGregor in the 10th round of a landmark crossover bout in 2017, but sparked rumors of a comeback when he posted videos on Instagram last month which showed him hitting a heavy bag and getting ready to spar.

Speaking on The Mayweather Channel on YouTube, Jeff Mayweather, a boxing trainer and former pro fighter, said "no one really knows what Floyd's doing" and that it's a "wait-and-see" situation because the coronavirus canceled the boxing calendar anyway.

Jeff Mayweather said if Mayweather did return, it wouldn't be against today's elite welterweights like Terence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr., both of whom feature in Insider's list of the 15 best fighters in the sport right now.

He said his nephew would instead target the UFC's top fighters, adding that he has a specific social media strategy designed to generate attention and keep people on the edge of their seat because he knows how to build a future event.

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"He's the highest grossing boxer in history and that makes people excited because some want to see him beat, some want to see him win, and some are not sure if he's done or can even compete at the highest level anymore."

Jeff Mayweather said he's sure his nephew prefers having all the cash he's earned in life over his undefeated legacy, which means he may well fight for another hundred million dollar payday.

"Floyd has created a market to continue making money even at his age because he's not fighting Errol Spence, he's not fighting Terence Crawford, and he's not fighting the top echelon of boxing," Jeff Mayweather said.

If he returned it would be to fight "the top echelon of the UFC, which basically means he's got too much experience for them.

"With him being my nephew, I think that's the wisest way to continue to earn a whole lot of money because people are willing to pay for it.

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"Why step in the ring with Errol Spence when you can step in the ring with Conor McGregor and make three times the money?"

Khabib Nurmagomedov has entered the chat

Javier Mendez trains Khabib Nurmagomedov.Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa/Getty Images

McGregor's UFC rival Khabib Nurmagomedov has long coveted a lucrative boxing showdown against Mayweather.

Shortly after the Russian wrestler submitted McGregor in the fourth round of a wild fight in 2018, he sounded out the Russian boxing federation to see if the country would have the means necessary to host a blockbuster fight with Mayweather at a soccer stadium which could fit 100,000 spectators.

This year, Nurmagomedov said he had even received $100 million offers from Saudi Arabia to fight Mayweather over there.

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It is unclear whether the UFC president Dana White would be on board with allowing one of his marquee contractors venture away from the Octagon, into the ring, for a payday he'd never be close to receiving in the UFC.

But White and Mayweather were spotted together in November 2019 at an NBA match, and have since held apparent discussions about working on an event in the near future.

Mayweather with the UFC president Dana White.Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

For Jeff Mayweather, it wouldn't be a fair contest if Mayweather fought Nurmagomedov.

"Floyd could easily fight both of them, on the same day," he said.

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"Floyd's been doing this his whole life, he's always got his body in great shape. I've never seen him put himself in a situation where he's not 100% prepared."

Mayweather warned, though, that even at 43, there's a risk his relative will keep returning to the ring only to one day lose.

"Age catches up with everyone and if he continues to take that risk, it can happen," Jeff Mayweather said.

"It can easily happen to him."

Read more:

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Floyd Mayweather waved stacks of cash in an Instagram Live video, saying he'll thrive in a pandemic-induced recession

An emotional, croaky-voiced Floyd Mayweather opened-up about his struggles to cope with family deaths and the coronavirus

Floyd Mayweather could easily become boxing's best trainer because he's a 'gym rat' and it's 'all he does,' Mike Tyson says

Floyd Mayweather made $500,000 for every punch he landed in the last decade, and he landed a lot of punches

A 21-year-old American boxer likened to Floyd Mayweather said he'd 'never let a white boy' beat him

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