Floyd Mayweather Jr. has announced his return to the ring in Thailand on 19 December, calling it a tune-up fight before facing Ryan Garcia in 2027.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., the undefeated American boxing legend, announced he will return to the ring to face Matti Floyd, an Australian boxer, in an exhibition match in Bangkok, Thailand, on 19 December 2026. He confirmed this fight is a preparation before his showdown with Ryan Garcia in 2027.
According to Boxing News Online on 1 November 2026, Mayweather, aged 49, made the announcement via social media with the message:
“This is a lil tune-up before me and Ryan Garcia lock up.” This means: "This is a small tune-up fight before I face Ryan Garcia."
Matti Floyd, aged 37, has a professional boxing record of 17 fights with 15 wins and 2 losses since turning pro in 2021. While not yet a top-tier boxer, he recently made news by defeating Anthony Taylor via a disqualification loss in the Misfits Boxing event in June. In September 2025, he lost to former world champion James DeGale in a bare-knuckle boxing match.
Ryan Garcia, the 28-year-old WBC welterweight world champion, wants the fight with Mayweather to happen soon. He has set 6 February 2027 as a key date, vowing to fight on that day whether or not he faces Mayweather. He insists the bout be a professional fight with a world title at stake, not just an exhibition.
However, Mayweather's ring return plans remain uncertain because he has previously announced exhibition fights with Mike Tyson and a rematch with Manny Pacquiao that never took place. Additionally, a planned exhibition with Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis also did not materialize.
Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the 19 December fight in Thailand will proceed as scheduled and if it will be a significant step toward the Mayweather-Garcia bout in 2027.