Floyd Mayweather says he is coming out of retirement. Again.
On his Instagram page, the American boxing great claimed that’s he’s returning to the ring for a rematch against Filipino star Manny Pacquiao. “I’m coming back to fight Manny Pacquiao this year,” reads the caption of a video showing Mayweather and Pacquiao talking at what looks like a concert. “Another 9 figure pay day on the way.”
Last year, Mayweather came out of retirement for what was already the second time to box UFC fighter Conor McGregor. He easily won the bout, and collected on the $100 million he was guaranteed just to step in the ring, plus his cut of the pay-per-view buys. “This was my last fight, ladies and gentleman,” Mayweather said at the time, planning to walk away with his perfect 50-0 record.
He was presumably done after that—until he said in April that he would return to fighting, but only in a UFC Octagon.
It’s understandably hard to stay retired when you’re the world’s highest-paid athlete, and he has changed his mind once more to take on Pacquiao, a fight that stands to earn him an extraordinary sum. In 2015, their first match generated 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and more than $400 million, earning Mayweather an estimated $220 million, though some sources put his pay at up to $250 million.
The bout, which saw Mayweather win a unanimous-decision victory, was deeply underwhelming for fans who wanted to see the world’s two most talented and accomplished boxers settle the question of who was greatest. Pacquiao claimed a shoulder injury had affected his performance in that bout. In the video Mayweather posted, he tells Pacquiao he doesn’t want to hear him talking about his shoulder hurting this time.
According to ESPN, which posted a longer version of the video showing Mayweather and Pacquiao talking about their rematch, their upcoming fight is planned for December.