At a press conference in Japan, it was announced that Floyd Mayweather Jr. had signed a deal with Japanese mixed martial arts promotions company RIZIN Fighting Federation to fight MMA/kickboxing superstar Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve in Saitama.
The undefeated 41-year-old, who has won world boxing titles in five different weight categories, has never fought professionally in mixed martial arts and it had yet to be decided what format and rules the fight would follow, he said.
The bout is to be held at the RIZIN.14 event.
Mayweather’s last bout was in 2017 when he stopped UFC superstar Conor McGregor, running his boxing record to 50-0 and earning close to $300 million.
Tenshin Nasukawa (27-0, KB) has become one of the most popular fighters in Japan, and perhaps the best combat sports prospect the country has ever seen. Between both MMA and kickboxing fights, Tenshin has fought over thirty times despite turning 20 just over two months ago. The current RISE Featherweight Champion, Tenshin began to make a name for himself with wins over the likes of Amnat Ruenroeng and Wanchalong PK Saenchai in the KNOCK OUT promotion out of Thailand.
Since those wins, Nasukawa has become a massive star under the RIZIN banner. Racking up four dominant mixed martial arts wins, defeating multiple men to be crowned the 2017 RIZIN KICK Tournament Champion, and most recently outpointing fellow superstar Kyoji Horiguchi in the biggest fight the Saitama Super Arena has ever seen. Tenshin has a rematch with Taiki Naito at RISE 129 later this month.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0, BX) has a legitimate case as the best boxer of all time, and he has the record to back it up. After winning a Bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Mayweather turned pro and never looked back. Over the years he has solidified himself as the biggest fight in combat sports, earning the nickname “Money” in every sense of the word.
The legendary counter puncher has too many accolades to name. Mayweather holds numerous boxing titles under WBO, WBA,and WBC, to name a few. The five-division champion has defeated the likes of Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Marcos Maidana, and Andre Berto. He has also racked up wins in some of the most financially successful pay-per-view events of all time against Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, and most recently, UFC superstar Conor McGregor.
Despite being 41-years-old, “Money” has never slowed down. And he is slated to bring his talents to Japan for the first time ever (as hinted at a few months back) to take on the incredible phenom known as “Teppen” Tenshin. Stay tuned for future news regarding the rules the bout will be contested under, as well as other match-ups for the card.
RIZIN 14 is scheduled for December 31, 2018, live from the famed Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
