Floyd Mayweather confirms he is 'officially out of retirement' to fight Conor McGregor

The former boxer set a deadline of June for their prospective super-fight to be arranged

Floyd Mayweather is currently on a speaking tour of the UK (Getty)

Floyd Mayweather has confirmed that he has officially come out of retirement to fight Conor McGregor and has set a deadline to arrange their prospective super-fight.

The five-division world champion, considered to be the best boxer of his generation, has not fought since equalling Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record with victory over Andre Berto in September 2015.

However, a lucrative return to the ring between Mayweather and mixed martial artist McGregor, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) lightweight reigning champion, has been mooted since early last year.

Mayweather, who is currently on a speaking tour of the UK, has now confirmed that he considers himself an active boxer again and reiterated that he is ready to face Mayweather later this year.

“When I faced Arturo Gatti, I went to his turf,” he said. “He was the A side, I was the B side. I beat him, I didn’t cry, I didn’t complain.

“When I faced Oscar De La Hoya, he was the A side, I was the B side. I didn’t cry, I didn’t complain, I beat him and I became the A side.

“For Conor McGregor, I’m coming out of retirement, just to fight Conor McGregor. I don’t want to hear no more excuses about the money, about the UFC. Sign the paper with the UFC so you can fight me in June. Simple and plain. Let’s fight in June.

“Today, I’m officially out of retirement for Conor McGregor. We don’t need to waste no time. We need to make this s*** happen quickly. Let’s get it on in June.”

The greatest barrier to Mayweather and McGregor’s meeting, which would likely be the biggest pay-per-view fight of all-time, is McGregor’s contractual situation with the UFC.

The mixed martial arts promotion company has exclusive rights to promote all fights in which its fighters are participating.