Floyd Mayweather celebrated his 37th birthday on Monday by announcing he would fight Marcos Maidana on May.
Mayweather announced on Twitter that he would be fighting Marcos Maidana, the WBA Welterweight champion. While many believed that Amir Khan would recieve the next shot.
The undefeated welterweight champion ended weeks of speculation whether he would take on Argentina’s Maidana or England’s Amir Khan.
He even ran an internet poll in which fans voted for the Khan match-up, but the WBC welterweight champion will now meet WBA champion Maidana in a unification bout.
“Marcos Maidana’s last performance immediately brought him to my attention,” Mayweather said of his opponent’s comprehensive defeat of the previously unbeaten Adrien Broner on December 14.
The 30-year-old Maidana dominated Broner from the opening bell and knocked the former three-time champion down twice.
“He is an extremely skilled fighter who brings knockout danger to the ring,” Mayweather said. “I think this is a great fight for me, and he deserves the opportunity to see if he can do what 45 others have tried to do before him – beat me.”
Mayweather beat Saul Alvarez last September in his most recent bout for the WBA and WBC light-middleweight titles. The bout on May 3 will be the third in his lucrative six-fight deal with Showtime.
“I am extremely happy to be facing Floyd Mayweather because it will give me the opportunity to show I am the best welterweight,” Maidana said. “I just handed a great defensive fighter his first loss and I plan to do the same to Mayweather.”
Amir Khan has criticised Floyd Mayweather Jnr for harming his career by delaying the naming of his next opponent, and ultimately choosing to face Marcos Maidana.
Khan had long been the frontrunner to face the pound-for-pound No 1 on May 3 and signed his part of the contract last December.
Khan had been due to face the IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander in December but pulled out in order to secure a £6million pay-day with Mayweather.
The 27-year-old from Bolton accepts that was a mistake.
‘It has been a very frustrating period as I’d been due to fight in December against Devon Alexander, however, I was strongly advised to not take this fight as I would be facing Floyd this May – and therefore signed my side of the contract on this belief,’ he added.
By the time he returns to the ring, Khan will have been out of action for more than a year since climbing off the canvas to beat Julio Diaz in Sheffield last April.
Khan’s promoters offered him hope that the mega-fight with Mayweather could still happen.
AUTHOR: Paul Ojenge