30 little-known facts about Floyd Mayweather Jr.

8. Mayweather has never fought outside of the United States as a pro

We’ve mentioned how Floyd Mayweather Jr. hasn’t fought outside of Las Vegas since 2005, but it’s also worth noting that he’s never had a professional prizefight outside of the United States. A large part of this is due to Mayweather being the A-side for much of his career, as well as a world champion at a tender age.

The conditions of Mayweather’s career are also drastically different than many of his great predecessors, who rose to prominence in eras where travelling for fights made more fiscal sense and where hosting a marquee bout in a foreign country or exotic location was part of the event’s appeal and marketing. Think of the George Foreman-Muhammad Ali “Rumble in the Jungle” and even Lennox Lewis’ stunning KO loss to Hasim Rahman, both of which were held in Africa. Mayweather is a product of pay-per-view, Las Vegas’ stranglehold on big fights and sports betting.

And yet, it’s undeniably compelling when a fighter travels to an opponents’ hostile and raucous backyard. Gennady Golovkin’s recent trip to London, England, to face Kell Brook is an intriguing example, and while Golovkin held plenty of natural advantages over Brook, his willingness to travel deserves unanimous praise. Since he fought Oscar De La Hoya, Mayweather has never had to chase a fight, and he’s clearly content as a homebody.

There’s no logical reason for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to concede his “home-field” advantage. However, wouldn’t it be fascinating to see Mayweather try and sell a big stadium fight outside of Las Vegas, or agree to face Conor McGregor in Ireland?