Floyd Mayweather fails to KO YouTube star Logan Paul in exhibition fight

Logan Paul took Floyd Mayweather the distance in their eight-round exhibition bout to claim a moral victory over the five-weight world champion.

The YouTube star barely landed a glove on the ring legend but used his size to his advantage to hold on whenever possible and smother Mayweather's work.

A frustrated Mayweather began slowly but upped the pace in the middle rounds but was unable to land cleanly enough to secure a stoppage.

"I had fun. You've got to realise I'm not 21 anymore," he said after the final bell. "He's better than I thought he was.

"He's a tough, rough competitor and I was surprised by him. He knew how to use his weight and tie me up."

Mayweather was taking part in his second exhibition bout following his first-round KO of Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasakawa in 2018.

His last professional bout saw him stop former two-weight UFC world champion Conor McGregor in 2017 to take his perfect record to 50-0.

Paul, on the other hand, had fought just once as a 'professional', losing to social media rival KSI in Los Angeles in 2018.

That followed their white-collar bout in Manchester the previous year which was scored a draw.

Neither man's record was on the line in Miami and there were no judges to score the fight at ringside – and therefore no official winner other than in the event of a stoppage.

Paul walked to the ring first with a Pokemon card hanging from a chain around his neck.

Mayweather kept his unlikely dance partner waiting for a full five minutes before he ambled to the ring.

And he was content to box on the back foot in the opening round. as Paul tried and largely filed to land a blow.

He did force Mayweather across the ring in the dying seconds with a flurry of blows but the 44-year-old simply covered up.

Paul tried to force the pace in the second round but was often left connecting with thin air as Mayweather's feet kept him out of danger.

Mayweather stepped on the gas in the third session as he began to inch closer to Paul and unleash his shots as if he sensed it was time to bring the circus act to a close.

Paul continued to cling on through the fourth round – literally as he grabbed Mayweather to clinch whenever he could as the old master began to dominate.

Mayweather was cutting off the ring at will by this stage as Paul was forced to either backtrack or hold on for dear life. But the YouTuber was at least maintaining his composure.

Mayweather began to express frustration at Paul's holding as another round passed without the ring legend finishing the fight.

Few would have predicted Paul would make it to the penultimate seventh round but his roughhouse tactics were proving effective in preventing Mayweather from unleashing his shots.

And Paul was never troubled in the eighth and final round as he showboated in the dying seconds before the bell.

"I don't want anyone to tell me anything is impossible ever again," said Paul. "Everyone has it in them

"Floyd Mayweather, it was an honour. You never know with this guy, I'm going to go home thinking, 'Did Floyd let me survive?.'

"This is the coolest thing ever."

On the undercard, former NFL star Chad Johnson was knocked down in the fourth and final round of his exhibition bout with Brian Maxwell.

Johnson, who was making his debut, dominated the rest of the fight but there was no winner announced following the final bell.

Two professional fights were sandwiched between the exhibition bouts with former unified super-welterweight world champion Jarrett Hurd taking on Luis Arias.

Hurd was expected to win comfortably en-route to another title shot but was dominated over large periods as Arias edged a split decision.

Badou Jack had been slated to rematch light-heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal but the latter failed a drug test and was replaced by the unbeaten and unknown Dervin Colina.

The Venezuelan was never competitive and was twice deducted a point for holding before being dropped three times as the referee waved the fight off in the fourth session.

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