Despite some fans and rivals theorising that multi-millionaire boxer Floyd Mayweather is broke, UFC legend Michael Bisping thinks differently.
Mayweather last year faced YouTube star Logan Paul in a big-money exhibition bout, and declared afterwards that he wouldn't be back in the ring again, even for an exhibition. But less than a year later, he will once more return to action against Don Moore tonight in Abu Dhabi.
And his return to action has led some to speculate that he needs money, despite having made hundreds of millions throughout his legendary fighting career. He competed in four of the top five biggest selling pay-per-view events of all time, winning all 50 of his professional bouts.
But there is a theory that he spends too much, and alongside various lawsuits and different business ventures, he may now once again need the cash from his bout in Abu Dhabi. "Apparently, people said that Floyd's broke," Bisping said during an episode of his podcast Believe You Me. "I can't see how that's the reality. The man's earned so much money.
"Granted he spends a lot; flashy lifestyle, private jets, cars, watches, you name it, and the rest. No doubt a bunch of baby mamas and taxes. There's a lot of ways to spend money, but still I find that him being broke is a little hard to believe."
When Bisping's co-host explained how the one time he saw Mayweather he was spending exorbitant amounts on a fleet of cars in New York, the UFC legend laughed at the idea that this could be enough to render him "broke". After making hundreds of millions during his career, the former middleweight champion argued, you would be able to afford that sort of luxury.
"Stop, no, what you're describing is not a way to go through hundreds of millions of dollars," Bisping insisted. "I'm sorry it's not. It's a big PR day, they're trying to put their best foot forward, you get three escalades and put a temporary wrap on them, you're talking a few grand tops.
"We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars. Just because he's got three escalades with 'The Money Team' on them, that's not how he loses that kind of money - that is lavish and certainly a waste of money but if you can afford it and it's creating hype and money, maybe that was money well spent.
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"It's more buying two Bugattis and spending six million, that's the type of thing. Also flying all your friends around in private jets and buying crazy jewellery, houses, we hear about it all the time."
Mayweather will face former training partner Moore at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, after the pair were initially scheduled to square off atop the Burj Al Arab skyscraper last weekend. The initial date was cancelled due to the passing of the President of the UAE.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan died at the age of 73 earlier this month. And as a result, a 40-day mourning period including three days of work suspensions were called that saw last weekend's event postponed.
Now, Mayweather is set to make yet another exhibition boxing appearance at the Etihad Arena, with tickets available to a wider audience than the initially planned handful of fans.
