Floyd Mayweather vs Mikuru Asakura: Boxing legend's huge payday claims disputed

Floyd Mayweather isn’t making as much money as he says he is for fighting Mikuru Asakura.

That is according to MMA veteran Chael Sonnen, who questioned the boxing legend’s bold claim that he will earn around £18 million for his exhibition bout with Asakura.

Money, 45, takes on the Japanese MMA fighter on September 25, having recently gone the distance against YouTube star Logan Paul and former sparring partner ‘Dangerous’ Don Moore.

The fight will take place at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, as part of RIZIN 38. It will not count towards his overall professional record.

ALL THE INFO: Floyd Mayweather vs Mikuru Asakura: Date, Card, UK Start Time and more

However, former Bellator and UFC fighter Sonnen suggested that the real figure he earns will actually be less than half of that number somewhere in the region of £7 million.

“Floyd is claiming he’s gonna get $20 million for this – I call it ‘rassling because they’re not actually [fighting] – but whatever they’re getting ready to do in Japan, whatever that is that’s going to look like boxing, he’s getting $8 million,” he told his YouTube channel. “Now, eight is a beautiful number.

“But he claimed he was getting 20. So I feel because I know the real number, that I can’t let it go. I must come to you guys.

“I have a journalistic obligation to come and inform you it’s actually $8 million and he’s exaggerating.

“He going to do something – exhibition? They’re calling it something. He’s doing ‘little guys that are terrible.’

“He’s getting good exposure making a bunch of money and he’s having a really good time. All of those things bother me. I don’t want him having a good time.

“No fighter gets to have fun. No fighter that’s 40 years old that isn’t doing actual fights,