Floyd Mayweather's Dubai exhibition fight postponed

As a mark of respect to the late President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we have called off the event, said Global Titans co-owner and CEO, Uday Singh

American boxing legend Floyd Mayweather

By Leslie Wilson Jr

Published: Fri 13 May 2022, 9:09 PM

Last updated: Fri 17 Jun 2022, 6:52 PM

Organisers of the Global Titans Fight Series, which was scheduled for Saturday, May 14, on the Burj Al Arab’s iconic helipad, have announced that the boxing bonanza has been postponed due to the death of The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

A new date will be announced for the high-profile event, with Global Titans co-owner and CEO Uday Singh looking at a possible ‘post summer’ fixture.

The headline act at the unique boxing series, the world’s first sports event with NFT livestream access, was boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. who was scheduled to face former sparring partner Don Moor in an eight-round exhibition bout.

It would have marked Mayweather’s first fight since he defeated YouTuber Logan Paul in Miami last June.

“As a mark of respect to the late President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we have called off the event but will be back, bigger and stronger, after the summer,” Singh said.

“We are committed to delivering the best possible fights at several iconic international locations. The four-fight blockbuster scheduled for the Burj, the world’s only seven-star hotel, is only the beginning of a bigger, far-reaching plan to showcase spectacular live events which will be broadcast live to a global audience.

“The fighters and the fans are at the center of everything we do,” added Singh.

Billed as the “The Showcase in the Skies of Dubai” the undercard featured former UFC great Anderson Silva in action against UAE Warriors sensation Bruno Machado. It would have been Silva’s third boxing contest following wins over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Tito Ortiz.

Badou Jack, a former world champion at super-middleweight and light-heavyweight, to take on Hany Atiyo, an Egyptian with four defeats in his 19 professional bouts, om a 12-round sanctioned fight.

Meanwhile, the card was also hoping to showcase two popular women fighters, Delfine Persoon, who fought on the Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz undercard at Madison Square Garden in 2019, and Elhem Mekhaled.