Mayweather overwhelmed by the UAE, but not his opponent

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Perhaps no sportsman is enjoying his retirement as much as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is.

Even though it is five years since his last professional fight, the American legend’s attention-grabbing powers have not diminished. Neither have the distinctive skills that no fighter on earth could match, during a glittering career that saw him rake up 50 victories without a single defeat.

While he may not be fighting for legacy or titles anymore, the former five-division world champion is blazing the global exhibition circuit and still banking paycheques that would make an ultra-wealthy businessman blush.

It is rumoured that Mayweather, who goes by the moniker ‘Money’, will earn around £28 million (Dh121.3 million) as the headline act in Sunday’s Global Titans Fight Night at the Coca-Cola Arena where he shared the ring with British social media star Deji (real name Oladeji Olatunji).

As he has done in his previous exhibition bouts against the likes of YouTuber Logan Paul and former training partner Don Moore, Mayweather treated the crowd and millions watching on PPV to his mesmerizing combinations and power punches which sufficed to force sixth-round stoppage to the scheduled eight-round contest.

Speaking in the ring after the fight Mayweather said: “I want to thank the whole country, the UAE…. It’s an unbelievable crowd, people, everybody that supported this event, Global Titans."

“Of course I couldn’t do this without my dancing partner, Deji. You’re a tough competitor and I’m so proud of you, keep up the good work."

“I always want you to go after your dreams and what you believe in.

“I din’t get to where I got to overnight. I had a great team, I couldn’t do it myself.”

The Briton replied: "It was an early stoppage. I wanted to carry on the fight and the experience of fighting Mayweather.”

“I’m going to keep dominating the YouTube boxing scene after (this).”

The co-main event between Tommy Fury, the half-brother to world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, and Rolly Lambert was a damp squib deserving of the exhibition bout status it was awarded by the Dubai-based Middle East Boxing Commission (MBEC).

However, there was more entertainment post-fight when John Fury, Tommy and Tyson dad and cornerman, got into an altercation with YouTube sensation Jake Paul, who was ringside as was Tyron Woodley, the former UFC champ who Paul twice defeated.

Tommy and Paul have had a long rivalry and were scheduled to fight twice but the fights did not aterialise with the former withdrawing twice

Senior Paul looked agitated and even ripped off his shirt to challenge Paul to come into the ring. Paul only laughed it off.

Meanwhile, Dubai-based Cuban fighter Jadier Herrera demonstrated that boxing has a bright future in the UAE when he scored a sixth-round stoppage victory over Venezuela’s Franklin Manzanilla to defend his WBC title in a scheduled ten-round super featherweight bout.

After soaking in a lot of punishment from the energetic Herrera Manzanilla did not come out of his corner at the end of the sixth round.

Earlier this year Herrera captured the WBC International super-featherweight title at Caesars Palace Forum in Dubai with a 6th round technical stoppage victory over Pablo Robles from Mexico.

Herrera, who is based at the Cuban Boxing gym in Dubai, boasts a perfect record in his burgeoning professional career.

American wrestler Bobby Fish made a big statement on his professional boxing debut in the opening bout of the card with a second-round TKO victory over Ghana’s Boateng Prempeh in a light heavyweight contest scheduled for four rounds.

The 46-year-old WWE and AEW superstar packed too much firepower for Prempeh when landing a big right hand to the body that dropped him to his knees. Visibly hurt Prempeh did not answer the referee’s count of ten.

The evening took off on a sour note when Delfine Persoon’s ten-round super featherweight fight with Ikram Kerwat ended with an illegal knockdown after the bell at the end of the very first round. The fight was ruled a no contest.