Australian boxer Matt Floyd has landed a surprise showdown with one of the biggest names in modern boxing history, with Floyd Mayweather announcing the pair will meet in Bangkok on December 19.
The American great revealed the matchup on social media, sharing a promotional poster billing the contest as “The GOAT vs The Jedi”.
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For Perth’s Floyd, a former bikie and stripper who learned to box in prison, it means an extraordinary opportunity to share the ring with a five-division world champion.
For Mayweather, it is apparently preparation for an even bigger return.
“This is a lil tune up before me and Ryan Garcia lock up Feb. 2027,” Mayweather wrote.
The Bangkok contest is expected to be an exhibition, meaning Mayweather’s unbeaten professional record would not be on the line.
Speaking to 6PR radio on Tuesday, Floyd revealed how the unexpected opportunity came together.
“I’m excited, he’s probably the greatest boxer of all time,” said Floyd.
“His fight with Manny Pacquiao fell apart, he still wanted a fight before the end of the year, one of the managers called me up.”
Known as “The Jedi”, Floyd, 37, holds a 15-2 professional boxing record and has primarily competed at light heavyweight – well above the divisions in which Mayweather made his name.
The Aussie says he faces a big weight cut to meet the American superstar.
“I’ve got to lose a lot of weight. I’ve got to lose about 25 kilos,” he said.
“I’ve already lost nine in the last week… I’ve got to get to 71.5… I’ll blow back up to 90kgs by the next day. There’s no rehydration clause.”
And while Mayweather is treating the contest as a tune-up, Floyd believes it will change his whole life.
He says knocking out the American would leave him fielding offers from some of the biggest names in combat sports.
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“Im getting a lot of money for this fight anyway, but say I knock him out, which I will, my next fight will be worth $50 million-plus.
“Nobody has ever beat Floyd… I’ll have every single person in the world wanting to fight me. Whether it’s Conor [McGregor] or Jake Paul.
“For once I won’t be the one chasing the fights.”
That confidence predates the Mayweather news.
Speaking to Boxing News in February 2025, he explained how he developed his unconventional style.
“I trained myself in front of a mirror in a cell for several years for ten hours a day, so I have mastered awkwardness and bad habits,” he said.
“I come forward relentlessly, and I believe that I have got more power than anyone in the world at my weight.
“I think that I have got the natural power of a cruiser, easily, I have thrown heavyweights around.
“I was Lucas Browne’s main sparring partner, I’m 80 kilos and he was 130 kilos, I didn’t throw him around, but I definitely stood my ground with him and took his biggest shots.”
Floyd also insists he has the chin to back up his confidence.
“I have never been dropped ever, touch wood. Sparring, training, anything, not ever. I haven’t even come close to being dropped and that’s not just the usual s**t talk, I genuinely haven’t.”
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The West Aussie has also ventured into bare-knuckle boxing, losing a unanimous decision to former world champion and Olympic gold medallist James DeGale in September last year.
Now he finds himself lined up against a fighter whose professional career included victories over Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez and Conor McGregor.
Mayweather, 49, retired from professional boxing after stopping McGregor in 2017 to move to 50-0, before continuing on the exhibition circuit. His most recent appearance came against John Gotti III in August 2024.
However, the American’s latest announcement follows several return plans that have failed to materialise.
A rematch with Pacquiao had been announced for September before being postponed, while a proposed exhibition against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis also did not take place.
Those setbacks leave questions over whether his latest plans will unfold as advertised.
Mayweather has nevertheless publicly named Floyd as his next opponent and pointed towards Garcia beyond that.
Garcia has been pushing for a February 6 showdown, although the proposed fight has not been finalised.