According to heavyweight great Mike Tyson, his quite incredible and hard to believe exhibition bout with fellow great Floyd Mayweather will take place in Africa, this in March of next year. It’s been quite a while now since news of the (perhaps) unlikeliest matchup in the sport, real fight or exhibition bout, was first announced. Now, with fans wondering if the other candidate for the tag of unlikeliest of fights, this Antony Joshua Vs. Jake Paull, will actually happen, Tyson has confirmed that he and Mayweather will indeed rumble in in 2026.
Speaking at an ‘Experience with’ event, Tyson said the fight will “break all the records,” and will be “one of the biggest events in the history of sports.”
Tyson has never before boxed in Africa, and neither has Mayweather. One could have been excused for thinking this fight was one that was made for glitzy Las Vegas, but according to “Iron Mike,” the bout will indeed take place where his hero Muhammad Ali shocked the world against George Foreman all those years ago.
There is no official broadcaster confirmed for Tyson-Mayweather, but plenty of people feel the folks at Netflix will land the fight, as they did the Joshua-Paul event. But CSI Sports, the promoter of Mayweather-Tyson (who is the A-side in this one?) has promised the March bout will “break every broadcast, streaming and economic record.” Whether the fight will be a pay-per-view offering also remains to be seen.
But Tyson is very excited to be boxing Mayweather in Africa, and though “Money” has yet to speak about or confirm the location of the fight himself, Tyson is clearly pumped up about his latest return to the ring. Fans are curious how a weight can and will be agreed on with this fight, what with Tyson being a heavyweight and Mayweather being a welterweight.
There are, as is the case with the Joshua-Paul bout, doubts Tyson-Mayweather will actually happen. But according to Tyson, the date and the venue are now in place.
Tyson last stepped into a ring in November of last year, when he was decisioned by Paul. Mayweather last fought in June of last year, when he boxed an exhibition rematch with John Gotti III.
Mayweather turns 49 in February, Tyson will be 60 next June.