Floyd Mayweather is going to fight Tenshin Nasukawa, and the world will be watching. The 2017 boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, a winner-takes-all bout worth a reported $400 million purse between the two fighters, was one of the most hyped-up fights of all-time. McGregor, an MMA fighter with little professional boxing experience, took on Mayweather, who had been retired for two years.
Though McGregor appeared to have a strong start, it was all planned by Mayweather, who owned the fight with the tried-and-true "rope-a-dope" maneuver (pioneered by the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali). After landing a series of devastating combos on a fatigued McGregor, the fight was called in the 10th round, an unquestionable victory for Mayweather. Following the fight, McGregor went on to foolishly find himself in unfortunate legal trouble by starting rumbles outside of the ring. Meanwhile, Mayweather mostly stayed out of trouble, having gotten his own misdemeanor battery arrests out of the way in years past.
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Surprisingly, for a retired fighter who had already proven himself in a global event match, Mayweather is back for one more fight. This time, he's taking on Tenshin Nasukawa, a world champion kickboxer. Unlike the McGregor duel, the stakes are much lower this time around. A three-round exhibition match with no judges, expectations are nowhere near the level of Mayweather's last fight. As an exhibition match, Mayweather's perfect boxing record (no losses) will continue unabated. That being said, it should still be an interesting fight, and one people won't want to miss. But where can fans watch the event?
Where Can I Watch The Mayweather vs Nasukawa Fight Online?
The timing for Mayweather vs Nasukawa match is a bit strange. The fight will take place at Rizin 14, Japan's preeminent MMA event. Though there was speculation Mayweather might be kickboxing, the rules will once again conform to the rules of traditional boxing, with eight-ounce gloves, and both fighters will conform to welterweight standards.
Since it's a Japanese fight, the timing will be a bit odd for Western viewers. On the East Coast, the title card is expected to start around 1:00 AM on December 31. It's a bit late in the evening for some, and perhaps that's part of the reason why it won't be televised on any networks or PPV stations in the United States. In the U.K., the online wing of the FITE TV sports channel is selling access to the fight for around $25, though it's unavailable for US-based fight fans.
Are There Other Ways To Watch The Mayweather vs Nasukawa Fight?
Not officially, unfortunately. If one spends enough time on Reddit, Twitter, or other social networks, they're bound to come across any number of ways to watch the fight, probably via a Periscope broadcast, or even YouTube Live or any of the other popular streaming sites. Last year's Mayweather vs McGregor bout was said to have been watched by nearly three million people illegally, but that's not a recomendable way to view.
Remember, the Mayweather vs Nasukawa fight is a premium event. Viewers are expected to have paid to view, so if you're watching it for free, you're probably doing something illegal, or at least dubiously on the line, so proceed with caution. At the moment, though, there's no official (read: legal) way to watch the fight in the United States.