FLOYD MAYWEATHER looks set to meet Andre Berto on September 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in what could be his final fight.
TMZhave reported that both camps have confirmed the deal is finalised and spoke to Berto who also seemed to verify the news.
The Haitian-American from Florida has lost three of his last six fights but told TMZ he plans to make the most of this opportunity.
He said: “It’s a pleasure and honour to be in this position and I’m looking forward to capitalising on every moment of it.”
However, Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times took to Twitter to dispute these claims, stating that an official charged with finalising the deal informed him that Berto was not yet confirmed as Mayweather’s next opponent.
Although an official announcement has not yet been made, all signs point toward Berto facing Mayweather in September.
Floyd is reportedly considering airing the fight on free-to-air television in America on CBS, who own Showtime, the broadcaster he currently has an exclusive deal with.
His fight in September will mark the end of that deal and Mayweather has previously claimed it will be his final fight.
Should he win, the 38-year-old would match Rocky Marciano’s undefeated 49-0 record, although speculation is rife that Mayweather will eventually fight for a 50th time.
In response to complaints that Mayweather has left the announcement of his opponent too late, Showtime Executive Vice President Stephen Espinoza tweeted: “PPV marketing never commences more than 3 weeks before a fight.”
Mayweather traditionally takes to social media to officially announce his opponents, but is yet to do so for September 12.
Last year, he announced his May fight with Marcos Maidana in late February and their September rematch in early July.
He followed that pattern this year when he announced his record-breaking May 2 superfight with Manny Pacquiao in late February.
Last month the five-weight world champion, who was recently stripped of his WBO welterweight strap after refusing to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee, insisted either Berto or Karim Mayfield would be his opponent in September.
