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Boxer Floyd Mayweather will fight 20-year-old Nasukawa in December after again coming out of retirement.
Mayweather’s record sits at 50-0 but is unlikely to change with this exhibition bout with the rules yet to be agreed.
And Conor McGregor, who fought Mayweather in Las Vegas in August 2017, took fire at the 41-year-old in an expletive-ridden Instagram post.
He wrote: “Is that a tracksuit or a sauna suit Floyd haha w**. is it hot in Tokyo or what’s the story here? that climate change is no joke f*** me hahah
“What in the f*** is going on here? Who’s this little p**** next to you ? That’s mad s***. Like something out of rush hour 5 or something.
“Chris tucker and Jackie f****** Chan back in this b****. F****** brilliant. Mad little b****** you are Floyd. Fair f**** to you mate. No lie. F*** it.”
Mayweather, who has been linked with a move into MMA to fight either Khabib Nurmagomoedov or McGregor again, defended the event.
“I wanted to do something different. I wanted to display my skills outside the US and be in a special fight,” he said.
“I spoke with my team and with RIZIN and we put it together.
“I have fought in the US for all 50 of my fights. As a professional I haven’t had a chance to go outside the US to display my skills and to display my talent for the world.
“I look forward to giving you guys entertainment come December 31, but my relationship with RIZIN, it doesn’t stop just here. I look forward to taking this worldwide.”
Mayweather’s latest move comes as a major shock after he announced his second retirement from the ring following his defeat of Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) star McGregor in a crossover boxing match last year.
However, the most stunning aspect of Mayweather’s announcement is his decision to sign with an MMA brand, having never competed in the octagon before.
Mayweather and his team said they were still in negotiations with Rizin over the rules and format of the fight, which should be “situated” in the coming weeks.
The identity of Mayweather’s opponent, Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa – a fighter half the American’s age – muddies the waters yet further.
Nasukawa competes in both MMA and kickboxing, and has won all four of his cage fights.
While Mayweather showered praise on his opponent and even disparaged himself by saying “my body don’t look the same as it used to look”, a bullish Nasukawa exuded confidence.
“I would like to prove with my own fist what others couldn’t do in the past,” said the 20-year-old, who added he accepted the offer to fight Mayweather without hesitation.
“My opponent looks taller than I thought, I think because of the aura around him, but I think I could hit him.”
Nasukawa’s comments caused Mayweather and his business advisor Brent Johnson to break into beaming smiles but there was a sense that in the past the former world champion would not have taken this challenge so light-heartedly.
With fighting fans – both boxing and MMA alike – trying to process the latest twist in Mayweather’s career path, will primarily come down to the eventual decision over the rules of his next bout before any real judgement can be made.
If this move is a bid to stay relevant, then Mayweather, whose business acumen has been matched only by his performances in the ring, has certainly found a way to keep his name in lights.
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