Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues the exhibition phase of his career, and his next opponent is John Gotti III, the grandson of the former head of the Gambino crime syndicate. The eight-round special attraction takes place this Sunday, June 11, at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
The Mayweather world tour has seen the boxing great topple kickboxers, YouTubers, and former sparring partners, but this has to be his most unexpected opponent yet. Gotti III is an active MMA fighter and professional boxer, and hopes to prove himself against the aging former champion.
Boxing odds have Mayweather a massive favorite in the exhibition at -3,000, with Gotti a +850 underdog.
Here are our free betting picks and predictions for Mayweather vs. Gotti III from Florida.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs John Gotti III odds
| Fighter | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Floyd Mayweather | -3,000 |
| John Gotti III | +850 |
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs John Gotti III betting predictions
Picks made on June 10. Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs John Gotti III betting preview
Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to conduct his exhibition tour, appropriately dubbed “The Heist,” six years after retiring from official competition. For what it’s worth, Mayweather fights with conviction in these throwaway matches, not wanting to be upstaged or compromised by the oddities he’s been facing. At his best, Mayweather combined pinpoint counter-punching and excellent ring IQ to dominate five weight classes, retiring undefeated at 50-0.
Now at age 46, Mayweather looks sharp and isn’t letting life outside of the ring get to him. He’s been active and still looks like he could give it a go in the professional ranks. Even this older, disengaged version of Mayweather retains his solid defense and precision punching.
He’ll have to overcome a four-inch height deficit against John Gotti III, and is likely to be pushed to the ropes considering Gotti’s MMA background. Luckily for Mayweather, Gotti is a deliberate striker, who will provide him with plenty of opportunities to counterattack. Expect Mayweather to target Gotti’s body, and open up his offense once his opponent begins to fade.
Gotti doesn’t need much to make a name for himself. The 30-year-old has a 5-1 record in MMA, and 2-0 in boxing. He’s competing under the Classic Entertainment & Sports banner, with his last fight being a first-round TKO against Alex Citrowski last January.
Though Gotti has formal combat sports training, he is a regional talent at best in both boxing and MMA.
Perhaps Mayweather won’t be as vicious due to the unique nature of the bout. That could give Gotti a chance to score a few hits and make a good account of himself against the Hall of Famer. Otherwise, this could get ugly if Mayweather decides to put his foot on the gas.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs John Gotti III boxing prediction and best bet
Prediction: Mayweather
Mayweather has forgotten more about boxing than Gotti could hope to learn. He hasn’t flashed the kind of talent or skill that suggests he’ll graduate to the big leagues, aside from power and grit. These are the kinds of circumstances that Mayweather can look great in, even with minimal preparation. I expect Mayweather to win.
Prediction: Mayweather moneyline (-3,000)
Best Bet: Over 4.5 rounds
As great as Mayweather is, he’s 46 and likely did the bare minimum to get in shape for this fight. He has never been the type to bomb out his opponents early on, and Gotti could be sturdy enough to take some of his punches.
I wouldn’t count out Mayweather carrying Gotti, letting him gas out before he starts punishing him. Because of that, I feel the fight going Over 4.5 rounds is the bet to make here.
Prediction: Over 4.5 rounds (-165)
