Floyd Mayweather Jr. Set To Fight Mike Tyson In High-Profile Exhibition
According to reports from Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger, the fantasy is becoming a reality. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mike Tyson have tentatively agreed to an exhibition bout scheduled for April 25, 2026. And if the lineup wasn’t surreal enough for you, the location certainly will be. The two legends are heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo, bringing world-class boxing back to the site of the most famous fight in history: “The Rumble in the Jungle.”
Floyd Mayweather vs. Iron Mike: The Logistics In the Congo
If you told a boxing purist 10 years ago that a 48-year-old Mayweather would be trading leather with a 59-year-old Tyson, they’d have asked you to seek medical attention. Yet, here we are.
The location is a massive play on nostalgia. Nearly 52 years after Muhammad Ali roped-a-dope’d George Foreman in Kinshasa, Mayweather and Tyson are looking to recreate that electric atmosphere. It’s a heavy legacy to carry. That 1974 bout wasn’t just a fight; it was a cultural shift. By choosing this venue, the promoters are clearly signaling that this isn’t just an exhibition—it’s an event.
However, the logistics of a Mayweather fight usually come down to the fine print, and this one is fascinating. We are looking at a massive size disparity. Tyson, even at nearly 60, walks around at a solid 220 to 230 pounds. Mayweather, who spent his career dominating lower weight classes, usually fights around 150 pounds.
Because this is an exhibition, there is no sanctioned weight class. It’s essentially an open-weight catchweight. To keep things relatively safe and to keep Mayweather’s head attached to his shoulders, reports suggest they will be using 14 or 16-ounce gloves. These pillows are designed to slow down Tyson’s power and offer more protection for Mayweather’s defense.
Examining the Tale Of the Tape
We have to talk about the records, even if this fight won’t technically change them. Mayweather sits pretty at 50-0. He is the defensive grandmaster, the man who made a career out of hitting and not getting hit. His legacy is secured as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters to ever lace them up.
But Mayweather has been active on the exhibition circuit. Since retiring professionally after the Conor McGregor spectacle in 2017, he has taken on kickboxers, YouTubers like Logan Paul, and reality TV stars. He stays in shape. He lives in the gym. But he has never been in the ring with someone who possesses the natural heavyweight horsepower of Tyson.
Tyson, on the other hand, is coming off a rather lackluster unanimous decision loss to Jake Paul in Nov. 2024. He looked his age in that fight. The explosive movement was gone, replaced by a plodding desire to just survive the rounds. But Tyson remains a spectacle. “It’s signed, and it’s happening,” Tyson told TMZ Sports, seemingly eager to wash the taste of the Paul loss out of his mouth.
Why Mayweather Is Risking the Exhibition Circuit Again
So, why do this? For Mayweather, the answer is usually in his nickname: “Money.” Despite the absurdity of the matchup, the visual of Mayweather trying to duck a Tyson left hook is enough to sell the fight. It is a curiosity gap that fans can’t help but want to close.
There is also the element of ego. Mayweather has always prided himself on being the TBE (The Best Ever). Stepping into the ring with Tyson, even a geriatric version, is a feather in the cap that no other welterweight has. It’s a calculated risk, which is the only kind of risk Mayweather takes.
The Final Word
Is this going to be a technical masterpiece? Absolutely not. You have a combined age of over 100 years in the ring. But will we watch? Yes. We will watch because Mayweather is a marketing genius, and Tyson is a cultural icon.
Come April 25, the eyes of the sports world will turn to the Congo. We’ll be looking for flashes of brilliance, reminding us of why we fell in love with these two in the first place.
