‘Bad for his health’ – Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather agree shock fight for blockbuster 2026
Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson are set to meet in the ring for a blockbuster fight in 2026.
The boxing legends have agreed a deal to fight in an exhibition, with former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson confirming the news on Instagram.
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"Coming soon," the 59-year-old wrote with a split image of the two fighters.
The date and location is unknown, but Tyson in a press release from CSI/Fight Sports, which say they will deliver the fight, said: "This fight is something neither the world nor I ever thought would or could happen.
"However, boxing has entered a new era of the unpredictable and this fight is as unpredictable as it gets.
"I still can't believe Floyd wants to really do this. It's going to be detrimental to his health, but he wants to do it, so it's signed and it's happening."
Eleven years separates Tyson, who retired from professional boxing in 2005, and 48-year-old Mayweather, who finished with an unbeaten 50-0 record in 2017.
However, given it is an exhibition, that record will not be at risk should he lose.
"I've been doing this for 30 years and there hasn't been a single fighter that can tarnish my legacy," Mayweather said.
"You already know that if I am going to do something, it's going to be big and it’s going to be legendary. I'm the best in the business of boxing. This exhibition will give the fans what they want."
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No details about the weight has been mentioned yet. In their prime, Tyson reigned as heavyweight champion while Mayweather was a champion in five different weight classes, with 151 Ibs being the heaviest he has weighed in at in professional career.
Although inactive since 2005, Tyson returned to the ring in an eight-round exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020. He then fought Jake Paul in 2024, in a sanctioned fight, losing on points in their eight-round bout.
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A huge 60 million people tuned in to watch YouTuber-turned boxer Paul beat Tyson, once known as The Baddest Man on the Planet, with the bout being shown on Netflix.
The gate at the AT&T Stadium in Texas drew $18m.
Mayweather, who beat Conor McGregor in his last professional fight that saw him earn a reported $300m, has also been active on the exhibition circuit.
He has fought Logan Paul, Deji and most recently John Gotti III, whom he weighed in at 160Ibs for.
Why are Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather such huge names in boxing?
Tyson still remains at the age of 58 one of boxing's biggest draws and names, despite being years from his heyday.
The ferocious puncher shaped the history of the heavyweight division during his meteoric rise in the 80's.
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Becoming youngest-ever heavyweight world champion with a destructive victory over Trevor Berbick in 1986 saw him placed firmly in the spotlight forever.
His devastating KO record continued throughout his career, which saw him flatten the likes of Frank Bruno, Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks.
But his career decline was a sad end to a stellar career, losing four of his last five fights including in a famous bout with Lennox Lewis in 2002, and most recently to Paul last year.
Nonetheless his wild and brash-talking boxing personality and fairytale story from Brooklyn captivated the globe.
Mayweather like Tyson shaped an era, shattering records left right and centre in the 21st century.
The American generated a mammoth $1.2 billion in total career earnings in his boxing career, earning the moniker 'Money' in the changing pay-per-view world.
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But in the most incredible achievement of the American's glittering career, he retired with a perfect 50-0 record.
He cashed out with a routine victory over Conor McGregor in 2017, boxing's second highest selling pay-per-view event ever.
Prior to this Mayweather conquered five weight classes, holding world title belts in each, beating pound-for-pound greats along the way including the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya.
Although his 2015 battle with Manny Pacquiao, albeit an underwhelming affair, was the biggest event in modern boxing history.
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And the pair as a result are now part of boxing royalty forever, with the event seeing 4.4 million people pay for the event worldwide.
His resume and generational boxing skills see him ranked extremely highly in the all-time pound-for-pound rankings, brushing shoulders with fellow elite operators including Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.