Floyd Mayweather has never lost a professional fight. He has 50 wins, a flawless record, and a legacy that no amount of time or controversy can erase. And yet, on Tuesday, February 17, the boxing world woke up to news that Mayweather is heading back into the ring — this time against Mike Tyson, in one of the most unexpected venues imaginable.
Reports confirmed that Mayweather and Tyson have tentatively agreed to an exhibition bout on April 25, 2026, in the Democratic Republic of Congo — the very country where Muhammad Ali and George Foreman made history in the legendary Rumble in the Jungle on October 30, 1974. Nearly 52 years later, two more iconic names are preparing to write their own chapter on African soil.
Mayweather Steps Back Into the Spotlight on His Terms
This is not Mayweather’s first time back in the ring since his official retirement after defeating Conor McGregor in August 2017. He has participated in a string of high-profile exhibition matches in the years since — against YouTuber Logan Paul, and most recently a rematch against John Gotti III in Mexico City in August 2024. Each time, Mayweather has made it clear that these appearances operate on his terms, on his schedule, and under rules that protect the one thing he values above everything — his 50-0 professional record.
The Congo exhibition will be no different. The bout will carry no official professional weight, meaning his unblemishedlemished record stays exactly where it is. What changes is the setting — a stage far bigger and far more historically loaded than anything his recent exhibitions have offered. Mayweather has described the event as something he wants to make legendary, a unique experience for fans that does not compromise the legacy he spent his entire career building.
The fight was first announced in September 2025, but details went quiet for weeks before gaining fresh momentum this month. Mayweather also has a separate exhibition scheduled against kickboxing champion Mike Zambidis on June 27 in Athens, Greece — a sign that at 48, he is very much still operating as an active performer on the world stage.
The Congo Setting Gives Mayweather a Historic Backdrop
There is a reason the Democratic Republic of Congo was chosen, and it is not simply geography. Kinshasa is the city where Ali stopped Foreman in eight rounds to reclaim the heavyweight championship in 1974 — one of the most celebrated sporting events of the 20th century. Choosing that location for the Mayweather and Tyson exhibition is a deliberate attempt to wrap the fight in the romance of boxing history, giving the event a gravitas it might otherwise struggle to earn on its own.
The symbolism is not lost on anyone who knows the sport. The undefeated champion, meticulous to a fault, stepping onto the same continent where one of the greatest upsets in boxing history unfolded — it is either inspired or audacious, depending on where you sit.
Congo’s own government has leaned into the moment fully. The country’s Vice Premier Minister publicly welcomed the news, celebrating the return of world-class boxing to the region and highlighting the Rumble in the Jungle legacy that the event is clearly intended to honor.
Mixed Reactions Follow the Mayweather Announcement
Not everyone is convinced this matchup deserves the hype it is already generating. The reaction across the boxing world has ranged from genuine excitement to outright skepticism, and the loudest criticism centers on the stark physical mismatch between the two fighters.
The size disparity alone tells a difficult story. He walks into any ring at or around 160 pounds, while Tyson weighed just under 229 pounds for his November 2024 fight against Jake Paul — a bout he lost by unanimous decision — has not been below 215 pounds since the 1980s. By fight night in April, their combined age will sit at 108. The weight gap alone — estimated at 70 to 80 pounds — has led many boxing observers to call the pairing uncompetitive regardless of its entertainment value.
To offset the disparity, the exhibition is expected to feature heavier gloves and shorter rounds — likely eight two-minute rounds rather than the standard three-minute format. Neither fighter will be required to make weight, and no official title or record will be on the line.
The criticism has not stopped the conversation. If anything, the debate over whether the fight makes sense has only made more people pay attention.
What This Means for Mayweather’s Legacy
For Floyd Mayweather, the question has never really been about the risk of losing — exhibitions do not count. The question is always about narrative. Every time he steps into a ring, even in a non-sanctioned setting, he is either adding to his story or distracting from it.
At 48, fighting a 59-year-old Tyson in Africa, in an event that deliberately invokes the greatest fight the continent has ever hosted — that is either a masterclass in self-mythologizing or a bridge too far, depending on your perspective. What is certain is that the whole world will be watching on April 25, and he has always known how to fill a room.
