By: Sean Crose
The only Floyd Mayweather will be participating in another exhibition, this time on September 24 in Japan. His opponent on the Rizin Fighting Federation card will be 16-3 mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura. While 30-year-old Asakura is said to be quite good at mixed martial arts, he doesn’t stand out in boxing. How confident is the now 45-year-old Mayweather about his upcoming ring performance? He stated at a press conference Wednesday in Hawaii that he doesn’t feel the need to work out particularly hard.
“We don’t practice as much as we do when we compete,” Mayweather admits. “When we compete, we are competing with the biggest and best in the sport of boxing.” Part of this quote was probably designed by Mayweather to get into Asakura’s head. Rivals in an exhibition are, after all, still rivals. However, Mayweather went on to detail how he and his team prepared for the exhibits.
“We can train for a few days and let the body rest for a few days, train for a few days, rest for a few days,” he says. “We don’t really practice too much. We just travel and enjoy life. In terms of boxing and competing at the highest level, I’ve been doing it for too long. When it was time to go out there and do what I had to do, I locked that out. “
Things took a turn for the worse during the confrontation at Wednesday’s press conference when one of Mayweather’s bodyguards pushed Asakura away from the famous boxer. In recognition of their merits, the Japanese mixed martial artists played very coolly and did not let the incident happen to them. However, the man had good reason to take the exhibition seriously. Going well against Mayweather – even a 45-year-old Mayweather – can do wonders for Asakura’s career.
Mayweather has had a second career for himself since beating UFC star Conor McGregor in his last professional bout in 2017. The bouts may not be official, but they seem to be. like making money for Mayweather. That’s probably why he’s been with the three since retiring.
Back when he was fighting as a pro, Mayweather was undoubtedly an all-time great, with a sharp yet versatile defensive style that has never been appreciated in 50 fights. . He also leads the top two pay-per-view fights in history – the first when he beat Manny Pacquiao in 2015, and the second with McGregor two years later.
