ONE Championship’s Yoshihiro Akiyama calls out Floyd Mayweather

Yoshihiro Akiyama wasn’t impressed with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return to the boxing ring at a RIZIN event this past weekend. In fact, he wants in next.

‘Sexyama’ called out 'Money' on Twitter shortly after the undefeated boxer beat Akiyama's fellow Japanese MMA fighter and YouTuber Mikuru Asakura via TKO in the second round.

Here’s Akiyama’s bold challenge, translated to English:

“Mayweather?! Why don’t you do it with me next?!”

If we put the massive size disparity aside, an Akiyama versus Mayweather super fight is actually an intriguing one. After all, they are around the same age and both have quite the striking pedigree.

Obviously, Akiyama will have the upper hand if this hypothetical matchup is under mixed martial rules. The decorated judoka would likely ragdoll Mayweather in an MMA fight, that’s for sure.

Boxing, on the other hand, is Mayweather’s wheelhouse. Then again, the 47-year-old Japanese-Korean star can also hold his own in the art of fists as well. While Yoshihiro Akiyama does not have the same Hall of Fame boxing resume as Mayweather, we know the nuclear power those hands of his possess.

A skilled grappler by trade, ‘Sexyama’ prefers to stand and bang, with seven of his 16 career wins coming by knockout.

After almost two years on the shelf, Akiyama reminded ONE fans this past March that he still has a lot of fight left in him. He took on fellow Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in a fiery match filled with evil intent coming from both sides.

Yoshihiro Akiyama was utterly dominated by the iconic grappler in the beginning, as he spent almost the entire round defending Aoki’s relentless submissions from the backpack position. He was caught with some nasty face cranks, but survived through sheer determination and bull-headed stubbornness.

The decorated judoka fended off Aoki’s takedown attempts and let his hands go in the second round. Akiyama stunned ‘Tobikan Judan’ and forced the referee to intervene following multiple unanswered shots to the face.

Rewatch the full fight between Akiyama and Aoki below:

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Who’s next for Yoshihiro Akiyama inside the circle?

As fun as an Akiyama vs. Mayweather crossover match would be, it’s probably just a pipe dream for now.

‘Sexyama’ has made it clear that he intends to fight until he’s 50. A bout against former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang seems to make the most sense.

The two were supposed to trade leather last year, but Yoshihiro Akiyama was forced to withdraw due to a bicep tear injury. The Team Cloud’s fellow UFC veteran Sage Northcutt is another potential match to consider.

In an earlier appearance on The MMA Hour, Akiyama also bared his plans to stay in ONE’s welterweight division.

“I’m going down to 170, but there were times were I almost fainted, so it’s quite difficult for me. So I might go back to 185... 170 and [185] I’m considering, but I want to fight a champion. I’m not there yet but I want to keep on fighting so I can challenge.”

Catch the full interview below: