Floyd Mayweather Says There Have Been Talks of Conor McGregor Rematch for 2023

These days, Floyd Mayweather prefers to be in the exhibition business.

As his matchup with Mikuru Asakura this weekend at Super Rizin draws near, the retired former boxing champion discussed what the future holds for him — and that could include a rematch with Conor McGregor.

'I want to go out there this weekend and have fun,” Mayweather told Sportsmail. “Then I have another exhibition Dubai in November and me and Conor McGregor in 2023.

“We don't know if it's going to be an exhibition or a real fight,” he said of a potential rematch with McGregor. “But there's been talks of both. I would prefer an exhibition.’”

“Money” has squared off against the likes of Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul and Don Moore in exhibition bouts over the past few years. He defeated Nasukawa via TKO at Rizin 14, while the fights with Paul and Moore were both declared draws. Mayweather explained his reasoning for wanting exhibitions over professional bouts at this point in his career.

'I am not into fights where I am going to take any real punishment,” he said.

“So, guys like Conor McGregor and guys that don't really hit hard such as YouTubers or UFC guys, I don't really mind colliding with those kinds of individuals but nothing where I am going to put myself in a position where I am going to harm myself or hurt myself.”

McGregor was at the peak of his fame when he ventured into professional boxing for a matchup with Mayweather in August 2017. The Dublin native had become a simultaneous two-division champion at featherweight and lightweight and was easily the UFC’s biggest star. He reportedly earned in the neighborhood of $100 million for a 10th-round TKO loss to Mayweather.

Since then, McGregor has posted a 1-3 mark in MMA. He is still recovering from a broken leg suffered in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, and a timeline for his Octagon return has not been established. The SBG Ireland representative recently stated that boxing is his first love and that while his UFC story is not over, he plans on returning to the Sweet Science as well.

“Obviously, my return will be inside the octagon for the UFC and mixed martial arts. That story is far from over,” McGregor said in an interview with Sky Sports. “In fact, that story is just being written, it’s just the beginning — so that’s where I’ll make my return.

“Boxing I will grace the squared circle again, for sure, in the future.”