Floyd Mayweather knocks out Japanese fighter Mikuru Asakura in their exhibition bout
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A message for McGregor? Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather knocks out Japanese MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura in the second round of their demonstration fight as he gets paid $20 million and turns his attention to a rematch with the Irish UFC star
- Floyd Mayweather delivered a brutal KO of Japanese fighter Mikuru Asakura
- The two faced each other on Saturday in a practice match at the Saitama Super Arena
- After receiving a series of shots, Mayweather turned up the pressure
- He produced a brutal right cross just before the second round ended
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Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather took a knockout victory against Japanese MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura on Saturday in their exhibition match.
The 45-year-old American has had a number of exhibition games since retiring professionally and extended that when he faced Asakura at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
With the fight scheduled for three two-minute rounds, Mayweather only needed two to stop his Japanese counterpart with a flush right cross.
Floyd Mayweather delivered a brutal KO in his exhibition match in Japan on Saturday night
The American landed a flush right cross on Japanese MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura
Asakura got a chance from the referee before Kenny Bayless called off the match
The first round started with left-handed Asakura punching at the American before Mayweather feint enough to deal with it. The crowd rejoiced every time the Japense fighter landed while Mayweather didn’t look like he was out of second gear.
In the second round and the intensity in the match shot up right away. Asakura led off with some heavy punches that landed flush to ‘Money’ Mayweather, something he rarely saw in his exhibition matches.
Two clean shots to the head saw Mayweather wiggle backwards before Asakura charged forward and the two fighters clinched. When referee Kenny Bayless separated the two, Mayweather seemed like a man of intent.
The American returned with a flurry of shots to the head and body before finally landing a brutal right cross that dropped his opponent just before the end of the second round.
Asakura put Mayweather to the test in the opening minutes of the second round
Asakura, whose professional MMA record stands at 16-3, was given a permanent count by Bayless before the referee ended the match.
In his post-fight speech, Mayweather said, “I’d like to thank the entire country of Japan; incredible country, incredible people.’
It marked the second time that Mayweather defeated Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa via TKO in 2018 at the Saitama Super Arena.