Floyd Mayweather’s exhibition agenda may involve a mixed-martial-arts great.
Moments after making his professional boxing debut, Jose Aldo, the former UFC featherweight champion, indicated Friday in Rio de Janeiro that he and Mayweather have agreed to face each other in an exhibition match later this year.
“His side has already agreed, my side too,” Aldo told MMA Fighting. “We’re now waiting for [the promoters] to get the deal done.”
Aldo outpointed Emmanuel Zambrano over six rounds to win a unanimous decision on Friday. It was a near shutout, with two judges scoring it 60-54, while one had it 59-55.
The 36-year-old MMA icon already has another boxing match lined up, a rematch with Jeremy Stephen on Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing 4 card on April 1 featuring Anthony Pettis vs. Roy Jones Jr. in the main event.
Aldo, who will be inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame as part of its 2023 class, told MMA Fighting that he will not treat his crossover fight with Mayweather as an “exhibition.”
“It might be [an] exhibition on [Mayweather’s] side, but not for me,” Aldo said. “It’s punch to the face like always. He knows that.”
Mayweather, who finished his professional career with a perfect 50-0 record, is scheduled to face retired MMA fighter and reality TV personality Aaron Chalmers in an exhibition fight on Feb. 25 at the O2 in London.
Mayweather has been busy on the exhibition circuit lately. Last year he fought his former sparring partner Don Moore, Japanese MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura, and Deji Olatunji, the brother of prominent YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI.
In 2021, Mayweather took on YouTube star Logan Paul in Miami Gardens, Florida, in an eight-round exhibition that went the distance. That fight was distributed on Showtime Pay-Per-View.
The Hall of Famer has made it clear there is only one reason why he continues to fight.
“A lot of time people say, ‘Oh, Floyd have to do exhibitions,’ Mayweather said last year. “My philosophy is never stop getting it (money). Currency over legacy. Currency over legacy.”
Mayweather retired in 2017 after stopping Conor McGregor in a lucrative crossover boxing match.