Floyd Mayweather ends retirement again to return to professional boxing after Tyson exhibition

Floyd Mayweather has announced he will come out of retirement for a fourth time later this year, confirming an exhibition fight with Mike Tyson this spring and a planned return to professional boxing for the first time in nine years. This development matters because it shifts Mayweather from exhibition bouts back toward a sanctioned professional contest, putting an undefeated record and past milestones back into play.

Floyd Mayweather confirms exhibition with Tyson, then pro return

The 48-year-old will celebrate his 49th birthday on 24 February and is scheduled to face former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in an exhibition match this spring. No date or location for the exhibition has been released, and the opponent for Mayweather's planned professional comeback has not yet been named. Mayweather has stated his intent to pursue another professional bout after the Tyson exhibition, marking his first pro fight since 2017.

What the return means for Mayweather's record and legacy

Mayweather's decision to resume professional competition after a string of exhibitions represents a notable shift in a pattern of retirements and returns. His most recent retirement was in 2017, and he has come out of retirement multiple times in the past. The planned professional comeback will be Mayweather's first since his 2017 victory over Conor McGregor, a 10th-round technical knockout that secured his 50th professional win and left him undefeated.

Over the course of his career, Mayweather won titles across five weight classes and headlined some of the sport's highest-grossing events. Since leaving the professional ranks in 2017 he has continued to box in exhibitions; his last recorded exhibition outing took place against John Gotti III in August 2024. He has framed his forthcoming comeback around breaking additional records and generating major commercial interest for his events.

Timeline and context of Mayweather's retirements and recent activity

• Multiple past retirements, including two in 2007 and another in 2015.
• Left professional competition after a 2017 victory; returned to exhibitions thereafter.
• Last exhibition listed as a bout with John Gotti III in August 2024.
• Set to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition this spring; professional comeback slated to follow that event.

This plan places Mayweather on a two-step comeback trajectory: first a high-profile exhibition versus a heavyweight legend, then a return to professional boxing after a nine-year gap. Key parameters for the professional match—opponent, date and venue—remain unannounced, leaving significant details to be confirmed in the coming months.

Given Mayweather's history of headline-making pay-per-view events and blockbuster gates, the announced pathway signals substantial commercial ambition. Observers will be watching how regulators, promoters and potential opponents respond as the exhibition approaches and as organizers prepare for a sanctioned professional contest. Recent updates indicate this story is developing and may evolve as additional confirmations are released.