NFL great cops brutal humiliation on Floyd Mayweather undercard
The Logan Paul-Floyd Mayweather showdown was always going to be a circus, and the warm-up act between former NFL star Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson and Brian Maxwell lived up to the billing.
The first fight of three undercard bouts before Monday's main event pitted former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Johnson against Maxwell, who sent him sprawling to the canvas with a devastating right overhand.
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Johnson landed a few shots of his own in the exhibition match, but the powerful shot from Maxwell was undoubtedly the highlight.
No winner was declared after Johnson was able to get up for a standing 10-count.
Johnson did jump right back up and waved at the crowd before finishing the fight strong.
The two were flexing and congratulating throughout the final round, too, so clearly the bout was incredibly friendly.
Soon after the fight, Johnson jokingly declared he wanted to face UFC superstar Conor McGregor next.
Considering it was the first fight on the main card leading up to the matchup between Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul, that should come as no surprise. Maxwell’s shot, however, was by far the most impressive moment of the fight.
Former NFL star Chad Johnson has one exhibition fight under his belt, which ended in a draw.
Now he thinks he's ready for Conor McGregor...😅#MayweatherPaul pic.twitter.com/VFmhCMByAe— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) June 7, 2021
Maxwell, 33, held a 2-2 MMA record during his brief professional career, with his last fight coming in 2019.
Johnson played in the NFL from 2001-11, all but one of those seasons with the Bengals. Johnson racked up more than 11,000 receiving yards and 67 touchdowns throughout his time in the league.
Insane $300,000 detail in Logan Paul's boxing attire
The lead-up to the Paul-Mayweather showdown was a festival of the extravagant, and nobody typified that more than Paul himself.
Hanging around his neck on a chain was none other than a Charizard card - one of the rarest Pokemon playing cards in the world.
The card is believed to be valued at around US$300,000 ($380,000 Australian).
Paul recently bought some $2 million worth of cards from unopened 1st edition Pokémon boxes.
"This is a newfound obsession of mine and I am so excited to share it with other enthusiasts around the world," he wrote on social media.
He added that he was "going for the Charizards" - and he clearly succeeded.
Paul made it through all eight rounds of his bout against Mayweather, despite tiring from the mid-point of the fight and wearing several brutal shots from the undefeated champion.
But with no knockout recorded in the exhibition, Paul escaped with his blushes intact.
"S**t man, I don't want anyone to tell me anything is impossible ever again," he said after the fight.
"The fact that I'm in here with one of the greatest boxers of all time ... this is one of the greatest moments of my life."
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