BY Issah Olegor
Former world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is set to face veteran Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in an exhibition bout in June as part of preparations for his highly anticipated rematch with Manny Pacquiao later this year.
The exhibition contest will take place in Athens, Greece, marking another chapter in Mayweather’s series of exhibition fights since stepping away from professional boxing.
The American boxing icon announced the upcoming bout on Instagram, describing 2026 as an exciting year and promising fans in Athens an entertaining showdown.
“I’m on the way to entertain!! Athens, Greece, get ready. This summer will be a legendary battle,” Mayweather wrote in his social media post.
The exhibition comes ahead of the blockbuster rematch between Mayweather and Pacquiao, which is scheduled for September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The fight will be streamed live on Netflix.
Pacquiao, now 47, and Mayweather, 49, will renew their rivalry more than a decade after their historic clash in 2015. Their first encounter, widely dubbed the “Fight of the Century,” became the richest bout in boxing history and attracted massive global attention.
Mayweather had announced two weeks ago that he would come out of retirement for a fourth time in order to face Pacquiao again. The upcoming contest will mark his first professional boxing fight in nine years.
To prepare for the rematch, Mayweather will first take on Zambidis, a respected figure in kickboxing with a record of 157 wins and 24 losses, including 87 knockouts. Zambidis, 45, last competed in an official fight in June 2015.
Mayweather has not fought professionally since his victory over former UFC champion Conor McGregor in August 2017, when he secured a 10th-round technical knockout in a crossover bout that generated worldwide interest.
The upcoming fights signal a return to the spotlight for both Mayweather and Pacquiao, two of boxing’s most celebrated figures whose rivalry once captivated the sport and produced one of the biggest pay-per-view events in boxing history.
