When Floyd Mayweather Jr. last fought in 2017, he dispatched Conor McGregor, a mainstream star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship whose trash talk and bravado — not any experience as a traditional boxer — led him to an expensive payday.
Now Mayweather, who is undefeated in 50 professional fights, will participate in a similar event under some similar circumstances. On Sunday, he will face Logan Paul, a YouTuber turned boxer whom Mayweather views as unworthy of being in the ring.
Still, the event is expected to sell millions of pay-per-view buys, and the combatants will earn millions in revenue.
Here is a guide to some important things to know ahead of the fight:
How do I watch?
The fight is scheduled for Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The pay-per-view card starts at 8 p.m. Eastern, which you can purchase for $49.99 on Showtime or Fanmio to watch on television or stream through a computer or mobile device.
As many as 25,000 fans may watch the fight live, and Leonard Ellerbe, chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, said tickets were likely to sell out.
How did both men become famous?
Mayweather, 44, is viewed as one of the greatest boxers of all time, known for his evasive style and for suffering minimal damage in fights.
He turned professional at 19 and needed only two years to win his first title. Notable opponents he has faced include Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Álvarez and Manny Pacquiao.
Outside the ring, Mayweather frequently flaunts luxury cars, clothes, jewelry and other aspects of a lavish lifestyle built on the wealth he has accumulated as one of the world’s highest-paid athletes. Mayweather, nicknamed, “Money,” claims he has made $1.2 billion in his career. In 2012, Mayweather spent two months in prison for assaulting Josie Harris, the mother of three of his four children.
Paul, 26, grew up in Ohio with his brother, Jake, 24, and played football and wrestled in high school. He soon amassed a large following on the video sharing app Vine. His profile rose so dramatically that he dropped out of college to pursue a career as an entertainer, supported by money he had earned through advertisements and paid posts.
His stature transitioned when Vine shut down in 2016 and he instead used Instagram, YouTube and other platforms. He now has over 19 million followers on Instagram and 23 million subscribers on YouTube.
In 2018, Paul drew harsh backlash for posting a video that showed a dead body hanging from a tree in a Japanese forest known as a destination for suicide victims.
How did this fight get organized?
Mayweather retired in 2017 after boxing McGregor. But the thought of fighting Paul, whom Mayweather considers easy prey, lured the boxer to the spectacle, especially considering the social media star’s fan base and the potential for a hefty payday — which Mayweather has likened to “a legalized bank robbery.” Paul is 0-1 as a professional boxer. He has been training for this bout in Puerto Rico in hopes of a better showing.
At a May news conference at Hard Rock Stadium, things intensified when both men took jabs at the other’s ugly controversies (and in turn, the combatants spun up vague reflections on their own misdeeds to sell the fight).
Mayweather said he would gladly fight Jake on the same night, too. In recent months, the younger Paul knocked out the former N.B.A. player Nate Robinson and the former U.F.C. fighter Ben Askren.
Afterward, Jake confronted Mayweather, removing the boxer’s white cap from his head, which led to a crowded brawl with Mayweather and his entourage. Mayweather, visibly upset, said the act was disrespectful. Paul, in a documentary produced by Showtime, sarcastically thanked his brother for “selling his fight.”
Jake Paul recently signed a multifight deal with Showtime and announced his next opponent, the former U.F.C. champion Tyron Woodley.
What are the rules?
There will be a stark size difference when the fighters enter the ring. Mayweather is 5 feet 8 inches tall and normally fights around 150 pounds. Paul is 6 inches taller and officially weighed 199.4 pounds in his lone professional fight.
The exhibition bout will be eight three-minute rounds with no judges, Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation told ESPN. Stoppages, such as a knockout, will be allowed and determined at the discretion of the referee. Both fighters will wear 10-ounce gloves, and headgear is prohibited. Paul cannot weigh more than 190 pounds.
The setup has many similarities to what was in place in November when Mike Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. in California.
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