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Floyd Mayweather vs. Tenshin Nasukawa Fight Result Won't Count on Record

Alec Nathan

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will fight Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year's Eve after all.

According to the Associated Press (via ABC News), Nobuyuki Sakakibara, who is the head of the Rizin Fighting Federation, confirmed the two will square off in a three-round exhibition in Japan.

The results of the showdown will not be reflected in either fighter's record, and kicking will not be allowed.

Mayweather told TMZ Sports earlier this week the sides were "gonna make it happen."

That message came shortly after the 41-year-old posted a sprawling message on Instagram in which he said he had never agreed to fight Nasukawa despite appearing at a press conference in Japan that seemed to confirm as much.

"First and foremost, I want it to be clear that I, Floyd Mayweather, never agreed to an official bout with Tenshin Nasukawa," he wrote at the time. "In fact (with all due respect) I have never heard of him until this recent trip to Japan. Ultimately, I was asked to participate in a 9 minute exhibition of 3 rounds with an opponent selected by the 'Rizen [sic] Fighting Federation.'"

On Saturday, Sakakibara told reporters he "could not rule out a last-minute cancellation."

If the fight proceeds as planned, Mayweather (50-0) will not be at risk of suffering his first career loss.

   

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