Bob Arum Calls Floyd Mayweather, Tenshin Nasukawa Fight a Joke and a Non-Event

Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum believes Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s fight with Tenshin Nasukawa at Rizin 14 in Saitama, Japan, is making a mockery of the sport.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Arum called the bout a "non-event" and also criticized anyone who watches it.

"That's pretty much a joke, isn't it? I think so. I think so," he said. "Because, it's not a real fight...the people who are watching that nonsense are pretty well jerks."

The New Year's Eve matchup—set to be the main card concluding the event, which began at 6 a.m. GMT, 1 a.m. ET—will be Mayweather's first appearance since he defeated Conor McGregor in August 2017. This is a different kind of fight because Nasukawa is a 20-year-old professional kickboxer who has never competed in a straight boxing match.

Per the agreed-upon rules, though, Mayweather vs. Nasukawa won't count on the record for either fighter, and it consists of three three-minute rounds without judges.

That's good news for purists like Arum, who can forget Mayweather did this as soon as it's over because there won't be an official result unless there's a knockout.