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Floyd Mayweather Jr. to Fight Aaron Chalmers in Exhibition Bout on Feb. 25

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVJanuary 23, 2023

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 07: Floyd Mayweather attends a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)
Jeff Bottari/Getty Images

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is getting back in the ring.

The retired boxer is set to face Aaron Chalmers in an exhibition bout Feb. 25 at the O2 Arena in London.

Mayweather was slated to face muay thai fighter Liam Harrison, but Harrison suffered a knee injury and the bout was called off.

"I was originally supposed to face a different opponent, but injuries happen and I'm glad that Chalmers could step up so that we could give the fans what they want," Mayweather told reporters Monday. "The fans in the UK have always been great to me and supported me throughout my career, so an event like this has been a long time coming. I'm excited to add more history to the O2 Arena in London."

Chalmers, 35, is a reality television star and former MMA fighter who went 5-2 in his MMA career and is 1-0 as a boxer after beating Alexander Zeledon in June.

He'll face the far more accomplished Mayweather, who finished his professional boxing career in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record. He's since put on exhibition bouts against kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, YouTuber Logan Paul, former sparring partner Don Moore, MMA fighter and YouTuber Mikuru Asakura and YouTuber Deji Olatunji.

As in all of those bouts, Mayweather—even at age 45—will be expected to handle the less experienced Chalmers with ease.

Mayweather's exhibition bouts—namely his matchup with Paul—have ushered in a new age of celebrity exhibition fighting with the Paul brothers at the forefront. Mayweather, ever the savvy businessman, has latched onto the trend without exposing his perfect professional record or legacy.

Chalmers hopes to give him a run for his money.

"I've been training with Adam Booth in the boxing gym and I'm eager to make a name for myself in the boxing world," he said. "I jumped on this opportunity immediately. It's an honor to share the ring with one of the greatest fighters of all time and I'm definitely going to take advantage of it."