Floyd Mayweather has announced that he will have his next fight against Andre Berto in Las Vegas on 12 September.
The unbeaten pound-for-pound king of the sport will bid to extend his unbeaten record to 49 fights when he locks horns with Berto at the MGM Grand Arena in what could be his last ever fight.
The 38-year-old American defeated fellow boxing great Manny Pacquiao on a unanimous points verdict in his latest fight in May and said afterwards he would retire after a final bout in September.
That fight will come against Berto and Mayweather will be putting his WBC and WBA welterweight titles on the line against the 31-year-old.
Berto is a two-time welterweight world champion himself and was once regarded as one of the rising stars of the sport but he has lost three of his last six fights, having been unbeaten after his first 27.
Mayweather said: “I’m ready to get back in the ring on 12 September and prove again to the whole world why I’m ‘The Best Ever’.
“I always bring my A-game and this fight against Andre Berto is no exception.
“He’s a young, strong fighter who is hungry to take down the best. Forty-eight have tried before and, on 12 September, I’m going to make it 49.”
However, Berto claimed: “Somebody is getting knocked out and it won’t be me. You don’t want to miss this.
“Best believe that I plan to bring it to Floyd and I’m not concerned about what 48 other fighters have been unable to do.”
British welterweights Amir Khan and Kell Brook had both been hoping for a shot at Mayweather but Tuesday night’s announcement appears to have put paid to those hopes.
