Floyd Mayweather announced on social media this week that he will face Australian light heavyweight Matty “The Jedi” Floyd in an exhibition bout in Bangkok on December 19. The 49-year-old is framing the fight as preparation for a proposed showdown with WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.
The “Battle of the Floyds” is expected to be an exhibition rather than a sanctioned professional contest. Mayweather has not competed professionally since stopping Conor McGregor in 2017. While his last exhibition fight took place more than two years ago in August 2024, against John Gotti III, his recent boxing activity has consisted of fight announcements that did not materialize.
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“THIS IS A LIL TUNE UP BEFORE ME AND RYAN GARCIA LOCK UP FEB. 2027,” Mayweather wrote in his announcement.
The opponent is a 37-year-old from Perth known for losing his bare-knuckle debut to former Olympic gold medalist James DeGale at BKFC 81 in September 2025. He lost by unanimous decision and was deducted three points for headbutting and holding.
Matt Floyd holds a 15-2 record in conventional boxing, though those wins have come against lower-level opposition than Mayweather’s professional opponents.
Is there a fight between Garcia vs. Mayweather?
With Mayweather himself saying the December exhibition was a tune up for Garcia, this is his first comment on their proposed fight since Garcia publicly announced in October 2026 that he and Mayweather agreed to fight at 147 pounds for the WBC welterweight title.
Garcia’s attorney, Guadalupe Valencia, spoke with Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger about the fight.
Ryan Garcia’s attorney and counsel, Guadalupe Valencia, gave me an update on the discussions of Ryan Garcia vs. Floyd Mayweather. pic.twitter.com/NfDncGqGkd
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 23, 2026
“When Floyd is free from other obligations, we will definitely work hard to make this fight happen; hopefully as soon as possible,” he said.
Mayweather’s obligations include a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed against the boxer by CSI Sports, which has cast doubt on his ability to be removed from any fight.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn told Boxing News in October that he believed the Garcia fight would go ahead but that no date or venue had been confirmed.
The Pattern of Unfulfilled Announcements
Mayweather’s statement that the Bangkok exhibition serves as a tune-up for Garcia, however, given his recent fight announcements.
The Bangkok exhibition adds another entry to Mayweather’s growing list of fights that exist primarily on social media.
An exhibition against Mike Tyson was announced in September 2025 for the Democratic Republic of Congo, then rescheduled for May 30, 2026, before being postponed after Tyson broke his hand in training. No new dates or venues have been confirmed.
Photos by Kirby Lee-Imagn
A professional rematch with Manny Pacquiao has been announced for September 19, 2026, at The Sphere in Las Vegas. That fight was postponed indefinitely after contractual disputes, with Mayweather insisting the fight was an exhibition while Pacquiao claimed he had signed for a real fight.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Pacquiao’s team has begun exploring alternative opponents.
Even when it comes to exhibition bouts, Mayweather still doesn’t keep his promise.
He previously announced an exhibition in June 2026 against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens, which did not take place.
The amount of announcements is more than the actual matches. While the “Battle of the Floyds” exhibition has officially been announced by Mayweather, his historic record this past year gives little cause for optimism.
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