Floyd Mayweather is teasing a return to real boxing and there are three obvious opponents for him to fight. “There’s been talks,” confirmed Mayweather regarding a 51st pro bout, when speaking to TMZ Sports. “It’s possible.”
The former ‘Money’ man for combat sports is linked with an exhibition early 2026 against Mike Tyson. It is unclear when and where the show will take place, and if there will be legitimate contests on the undercard including a fight for Mayweather’s protege Curmel Moton — a 19-year-old widely-heralded as boxing’s most gifted teenager.
However, what is clear is the runway Mayweather has to make an audacious return to the ring with his flawless 50-0 record on the line.
Keep scrolling for the three most obvious opponents for Mayweather to fight, ranked by how much money each bout could generate.
Conor McGregor 2
In 2017, Mayweather and Conor McGregor produced the second-richest fight in history, generating around $600 million in revenue and more than 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in the U.S. alone. Seven years later, the idea of a rematch remains alive because the original blueprint worked.
McGregor has lost more than he’s won since, but he still has one of the loudest microphones in sports. From a promotional standpoint, there’s an easy hook: McGregor claims he’s fitter, smarter, and better prepared for a boxing ring now, while Mayweather could argue he wants to remind the world that “Money” still prints cash.
Though the bout wouldn’t match the staggering first-fight numbers, it could still land $200–$300 million globally given the crossover appeal. A platform like Netflix, eager to replicate the 42 million viewers that tuned in for Canelo vs Crawford, or Prime Video, which is investing in combat sports, would be natural landing spots.
Ultimately, a McGregor rematch is less about competition and more about spectacle, and spectacle still pays.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis
A Mayweather vs Gervonta “Tank” Davis fight would be drenched in drama.
Davis was once Floyd’s crown jewel under Mayweather Promotions, but the relationship fractured into a public breakup. The storyline is built-in: mentor vs protege, master vs pupil. It’s the type of fight that would penetrate mainstream sports media because the grudge match is like something out of WWE; like Vince McMahon vs The Rock.
Financially, it’s intriguing. Davis has become one of boxing’s true box office stars, regularly selling out arenas and consistently cracking 200,000 PPV buys in the US — with one fight hitting 1.2 million. Mayweather, of course, was the PPV king, with career revenue topping $1 billion.
The clash of their fanbases could generate $250–$350 million, particularly if it was staged in Las Vegas or taken global with a Saudi-backed Riyadh Season event. Prime Video and Netflix, again, are ideal landing spots.
Out of all three opponents, this is the most threatening to Mayweather’s unbeaten record. But if Mayweather wants to blur the line between business and danger, to prove he still has it, Davis is the opponent that delivers both.
Manny Pacquiao 2
The first Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao clash in 2015 was the richest fight in history, grossing $600–$650 million worldwide and breaking every PPV record with 4.6 million buys in the U.S. For years, it was called the ‘Fight of the Century,’ and though the bout itself underwhelmed in action, it still delivered the biggest payday boxing has ever seen.
A rematch — this time with both men at retirement age but still global icons — would be marketed as one final dance between legends. Pacquiao, now 46, remains a cultural icon in Asia and a political force in the Philippines. PacMan also came back to give Mario Barrios all kinds of hell when he rolled back the years in a draw he deserved to win, earlier in the year. Mayweather, 48, still commands attention every time he teases a comeback.
A second bout could be billed as ‘Unfinished Business.’ And, from a business standpoint, this fight could be massive in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the U.S. nostalgia market. Realistically, it might generate $300–$400 million, especially if staged in a Saudi-backed Riyadh Season event.