Floyd Mayweather has confirmed he will have another fight before taking on old rival Manny Pacquiao in their controversial Las Vegas rematch later this year.
Eleven years on from their first clash in Vegas, which itself came years too late, the 49-year-old Mayweather will put his perfect 50-0 professional boxing record on the line against the now 47-year-old Pacquiao at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September.
In his latest column for The Independent, boxing pundit Steve Bunce described the rematch as “cynical and calculating”, while our Combat Sports Editor Alex Pattle acknowledged that no one wanted this fight, but suggested there are three factors that could make it watchable.
Mayweather outpointed his Filipino rival in 2015 to move to 48-0 but hasn’t fought professionally since a TKO win over UFC star Conor McGregor in 2017, opting instead for a series of exhibition fights against the likes of Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul and Don Moore.
And the American has now confirmed another exhibition bout for June, against kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens.
He wrote on Instagram: “2026 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for me… I’m on the way to entertain!! Athens, Greece. Get ready for an all out exhibition. This summer will be a legendary battle.
“June is the month where history will be made at the Telekom Center. Different energy. Different level.”
Zambidis is a 45-year-old who ended his kickboxing career over 10 years ago, although did have a one-off boxing bout in 2019.
He hasn’t fought since 2015, where his final fight in the kickboxing ranks came in a decision victory over Steve Moxon.
Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing
Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing
Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Last month, Zambidis shared a fight poster on social media of himself and Mayweather, saying the contest will take place on 27 June at the Oaka Arena in Athens.
Mayweather – whose own post doesn’t confirm the exact date, simply stating it will take place in June – had previously announced that he was set to fight heavyweight icon Mike Tyson in another exhibition this year, although a date for that bout has yet to be set.
His first fight with Pacquiao broke all financial records for boxing, with the highest gate (£53.1m) and pay-per-view sales (4.6m) in history.
Pacquiao, the only eight-weight world champion in boxing history, owns a 62-8-3 record and most recently fought in July 2025 for the WBC welterweight title, when he boxed 30-year-old Mario Barrios to a majority draw.
He has made no secret of his desire to end Mayweather’s much-prized unbeaten record, stating: “I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”
