Floyd Mayweather has confirmed a December 19 exhibition against Matty Floyd in Bangkok, calling the contest a warm-up before facing Ryan Garcia, with Mike Zambidis, Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao absent from his latest plans.

The undefeated boxing legend announced the fight through his verified Instagram account, confirming he will face the Australian in Thailand at an event billed as “The GOAT vs. The Jedi.”

“This is a lil tune up before me and Ryan Garcia lock up,” Mayweather stated.

The statement comes after months of plans involving Tyson, Zambidis and Pacquiao, none of whom has made it into the ring with Mayweather despite previous announcements.

In Mayweather’s last interview at a Dmitriy Salita promotion, the former pound-for-pound king stated he was heading to Greece to fulfill his postponed agreement with Zambidis.

Mayweather vs. Matty Floyd

The December 19 exhibition will see Mayweather face a fighter already familiar to World Boxing News readers.

Floyd, nicknamed “The Jedi,” faced former world champion James DeGale under Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship rules, losing a unanimous decision in September 2025.

The Australian later told WBN that DeGale had reportedly knocked out six sparring partners before their contest, insisting his awkward style made the former Olympic champion look ordinary.

Floyd also became involved in a bizarre feud with Billy Joe Saunders, even traveling to England for a proposed meeting in a pub car park.

The confrontation never happened, despite Floyd telling WBN he had flown over specifically to confront Saunders.

Mayweather vs. Ryan Garcia

Whatever happens against Floyd, Mayweather could have the opportunity to challenge Garcia for the WBC welterweight title if a professional fight can be agreed.

Garcia has already made it clear he wants a professional contest against Mayweather, rather than an exhibition.

As WBN reported on October 7Garcia revealed that Mayweather had approached him about a potential fight.

“I’m ready Floyd, remember you made this call,” Garcia stated.

The reigning WBC welterweight champion wants Mayweather’s famous 50-0 record on the line.

Mayweather, who turns 50 in February, has not fought professionally since defeating Conor McGregor in 2017.

David Benavidez has already warned Mayweather against risking his undefeated record against the younger champion.

Tyson and Pacquiao Plans

During a recent PBD Podcast appearance, Mayweather indicated an exhibition with Tyson would come before the Pacquiao rematch.

The Pacquiao fight has already suffered repeated delays, with the original September plans falling apart amid unresolved commitments and legal complications.

Mayweather previously suggested the rematch was close to being finalized, only for Pacquiao’s representatives to acknowledge that negotiations remained on “Floyd Time.”

Neither the Tyson nor Pacquiao fight has been formally canceled, while no date or signed agreement has been announced for Garcia.

Whether the Bangkok appearance leads to a professional comeback against Garcia remains to be seen. Mayweather has named plenty of potential opponents, but getting those fights over the line has proved a different matter.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Canelo Alvarez defeated Christian Mbilli in Riyadh just two days after ballistic missile debris fell in the Saudi capital, but Turki Alalshikh snubbed the Mexican superstar by spending much of the fight talking to the person beside him instead of watching the action.

Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super middleweight title by unanimous decision, with judges scoring the contest 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. World Boxing News scored the fight 118-110.

Canelo’s reported $47 million guarantee was part of his lucrative four-fight agreement with Riyadh Season.

The fight went ahead despite serious security concerns after Saudi Civil Defense reported that debris from two intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles fell in Riyadh on Thursday, October 29.

One civilian suffered minor injuries, while a house and vehicle were damaged just two days before Canelo and Mbilli stepped into the ring.

Yet as Canelo fought, Alalshikh repeatedly turned toward his ringside companion for lengthy conversations.

World Boxing News witnessed Alalshikh talking during the vast majority of rounds, including several moments when the fighters were exchanging punches directly in front of him.

For a fighter of Canelo’s stature, competing for a world title in a contest worth a reported $47 million to him, the repeated conversations gave the appearance of a ringside snub from the man helping bankroll the event.

Turki’s Ringside Behavior

Turki’s extraordinary behavior caught the attention of fans, as well as WBN.

“Nice to see the massive fight fan Turki Al-Sheikh having a conversation throughout the entire fight,” one viewer posted on X.

Another declared: “Turki has completely checked out of boxing.”

A third posted: “Bro Turki Alalshikh hasn’t watched a moment of this fight ….”

WBN’s Take

Turki proclaims to be a boxing fan, but showing up and appearing so blatantly uninterested in watching the action hardly supports that claim.

It almost looked as though the matchmaker wanted to make a point about something. Whether that was his intention is something only Alalshikh can explain.

Why would anyone involved in bringing Canelo back for a fight reportedly worth almost $50 million to the Mexican, with the contest going ahead in Riyadh just two days after missile debris injured a civilian and damaged property, appear so uninterested in watching?

It’s unfathomable and, in WBN’s view, an indication that boxing still has a long way to go in the region.

Alalshikh has brought enormous money into boxing and helped make some major fights happen. But spending millions does not automatically mean you get a free pass for everything.

Boxing suffers when those running it give the impression they don’t care about what’s transpiring in front of them.

Unfortunately for Turki, his behavior during Canelo’s victory will give further fuel to those who already criticize.

He could have been discussing business, but why choose those 36 minutes to do so when Canelo was fighting for a world title directly in front of him?

The man helping Canelo’s later career appeared to have other things on his mind. Whatever his reasons, repeatedly turning away from one of boxing’s biggest stars during a world title victory was, in WBN’s view, a poor look for all concerned.

And the fact Turki jumped into the ring afterwards to celebrate wildly only adds to the mystery of why he spent so much of the fight looking elsewhere.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Jake Paul has shared his reaction to Canelo Alvarez returning to the ring with a victory over Christian Mbilli.

Canelo claimed world honours once again as he defeated Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to win the WBC super-middleweight title.

It appeared to be a fairly competitive fight up until the halfway stage, but Alvarez then began to pull away to claim a comfortable win, as the judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 in his favour.

Attention has already turned to who the Mexican superstar could now take on next, and one man that has been linked to a fight with Canelo over the years is YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul.

Posting on social mediaPaul gave his take on Canelo’s performance, whilst also once again calling for a fight with the new WBC super-middleweight champion.

“Out of the ring for 13 months but still the same old Canelo. Respect. Did take a lot of punches though. We will dance my friend, we will dance.”

Out of the ring for 13 months but still the same old Canelo. Respect.
Did take a lot of punches though. We will dance my friend, we will dance.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 31, 2026

It appears unlikely that a bout between Canelo and Paul will happen anytime soon, with ‘The Problem Child’ scheduled to make his own comeback on Christmas Eve in Dubai, in what will serve as his first action since losing to Anthony Joshua last December.

As for Alvarez, he may look to now target the other world champions at 168lbs in a bid to become undisputed once again, while he has also made it clear that he would like a rematch with former foe Terence Crawford as he seeks to avenge his defeat from last year.