Mayweather and Gotti faced off in a thrilling encounter at the famed FLA Live Arena, nestled in Sunrise, Florida. Intriguingly, this event marked Mayweather’s seventh venture into exhibition fights following his notable retirement from professional boxing. Uniquely, it was the first time Mayweather had taken to the ring on U.S. terrain since his well-publicized bout with Logan Paul back in June 2021.
An esteemed inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Mayweather held an impeccable professional record of 50-0, which understandably tipped the scales in his favor when it came to experience and competence.
Gotti, albeit having only a pair of professional boxing fights under his belt, held a respectable 5-1 record in professional MMA, demonstrating his competitive edge.
Mayweather seized control right from the start, unleashing a flurry of body hooks at Gotti. Despite this, Gotti skillfully defended Mayweather’s attempt at an overhand right. Although Gotti did manage to connect a jab, he was largely defensive throughout the initial round.
The second round saw Mayweather, amidst a brief clinch, land a successful right hand on Gotti.
Even though Mayweather’s intensity tapered slightly in the third round, he continued to command the ring. Tensions soared in the fourth round as verbal exchanges added to the physical duel. In response to Gotti’s gripe about a punch to the back of his head, Mayweather retaliated with a right hand. The verbal jousting reached its crescendo in the fifth round.
By the time the sixth round arrived, referee Kenny Bayless, having reached his limit with Gotti’s incessant chatter, the non-stop clinching, and the endless verbal jabs, decided to call it a day and stop the fight.
The drama continued even after the bout, with Gotti and Mayweather trading blows post the final bell, which sparked an all-out brawl between the two camps. The event, originally envisioned as a friendly exhibition, spiraled into something much more intense, which represented a major shift considering the congenial rapport previously demonstrated between Mayweather and Gotti in the lead-up to the fight.
