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Floyd Mayweather Jr., Anderson Silva Dubai Boxing Exhibition Canceled; New Date TBD
May 13, 2022
An exhibition boxing card featuring Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Anderson Silva that was scheduled to take place Saturday in the United Arab Emirates was postponed.
TMZ Sports reported Friday the event, officially dubbed Global Titans Fight Series: The Showcase in the Skies of Dubai, was called off following the death of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan that led the country to declare a three-day mourning period.
Mayweather was set to face former sparring partner Don Moore, while Silva was going to take on Bruno Machado. The Global Titans Fight Series released a statement saying it hoped to reschedule the card with a date "announced very soon," per TMZ.
The matches were scheduled to take place on the Burj Al Arab helipad, which previously hosted tennis legends Roger Federer and Andre Agassi as well as golf superstar Tiger Woods. It also held a sparring session for boxer Anthony Joshua.
Mayweather's last official fight was a TKO of UFC superstar Conor McGregor in August 2017. It improved the five-division world champion's career record to 50-0.
He's continued to take part in exhibition events, taking on Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year's Eve 2018 and YouTube star Logan Paul last June.
"There's no more real fights for me," the 45-year-old told Lance Pugmire of The Athletic during the buildup to the Paul fight. "Only exhibitions."
The International Boxing Hall of Famer reacted to the death of Sheikh Khalifa in an Instagram post.
"Sending my condolences to the entire UAE," he wrote.
Silva, a former UFC middleweight champion who last fought in the Octagon in October 2020, is 2-0 since his return to the boxing ring last year. He's scored victories over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz.
The 47-year-old Brazilian hadn't boxed since beating Julio Cesar De Jesus in his second career bout in 2005. He lost to Osmar Luiz Teixeira in his 1998 boxing debut.
It's unclear whether the Global Titans Fight Series will attempt to keep the event in Dubai or seek a change of venue.