A rematch between Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III will not be on the cards for a while, since the Florida State Athletic Commission suspended Gotti for six months. The punishment comes after his post-fight brawl against Mayweather over the weekend.
Complete chaos after the Floyd Mayweather-John Gotti III fight was stopped 😳
(via @The_ZeusNetwork)pic.twitter.com/SLys8fI4as
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 12, 2023
What happened before the brawl?
The two exchanged blows during an exhibition fight on Sunday, in Florida. Mayweather has been fighting exhibitions since retiring from professional boxing in 2017. He currently holds a 50-0 record. Gotti is the grandson of infamous crime boss, John Gotti.
RELATED STORY: The basketball coach investing in Gugs youth
From the start, the pair exchanged profanities: even as the fight passed the halfway mark. Mayweather outclassed and taunted Gotti – who entered the ring as a 5-1 MMA veteran and 2-0 boxing pro – who then resorted to rough tactics. Referee Kenny Bayless then stopped the exhibition, but Gotti ignored the decision and continued to punch Mayweather, sparking chaos in and around the ring.
The scene at FLA Live Arena was pure madness. After Gotti threw some extra punches as Mayweather, a flurry of people and security jumped into the ring. Scores of men were seen shoving and pushing each other, with a number of mini-brawls breaking out around the arena.
RELATED STORY: The Rumble in the Jungle: an epic reloaded!
McGregor enters the chat
“The DBPR Florida Athletic Commission took immediate action the evening of Sunday, June 11, and suspended John Gotti III for six months,” said a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which oversees the commission.
Mayweather does not face sanctions as a result of the incident, explains the spokesperson.
Earlier this week, Gotti revealed that Mayweather is his “enemey for life”. He then turned to UFC star Conor McGregor for help. And The Notorious has allegedly answered the call. He posted his support in a since-deleted Tweet reports MMA Fighting.
McGregor famously lost to Mayweather in a crossover event, The Money Fight, in 2017, losing by TKO in the 10th round.
RELATED STORY: SA’s golden day at Comrades as Steyn, Dijana make history
According to media reports, Mayweather and Gotti hashed things out post-brawl, and are allegedly in talks about a potential rematch in the future. However, if it should be held in Florida, it will have wait until December.
