Floyd Mayweather to face Mike Zambidis in Athens Exhibition Before Pacquiao Rematch in September
Floyd Mayweather, the legendary American boxer, is set to return to the ring for an exhibition bout against Mike Zambidis in Athens, Greece, in June 2026. This highly anticipated match will serve as a warm-up for Mayweather's highly anticipated rematch with Manny Pacquiao, scheduled for September in Las Vegas. Mayweather, who retired from professional boxing in 2017 after defeating Conor McGregor, is gearing up for an exciting year, as he plans to entertain European audiences.
Mike Zambidis, a 45-year-old former kickboxer, will step into the boxing ring for the first time in over a decade. Zambidis, who ended his kickboxing career over a decade ago, had a brief foray into boxing in 2019. Mayweather, now 49, will be making his fourth retirement return, having previously called it quits in 2007, 2015, and 2017. The highly anticipated fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao in 2015 set records for gate revenue (£53.1m) and pay-per-view sales (4.6m), and the rematch is expected to draw global attention once again.
The fight will take place at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19, 11 years after their first encounter. Mayweather's exhibition bout in Athens will provide a strategic preparation for the highly anticipated rematch, as he aims to showcase his skills and maintain his status as one of the greatest boxers of all time.