Over the past week, the boxing world has been ablaze with apprehension, as there were rumors that Floyd Mayweather was being held in Dubai over an unpaid debt. This fiasco started after ‘Money Mayweather’s former protégé Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis made this claim in a tweet last week. “[Mayweather is] in Dubai and can’t leave because he been taking money and not doing what they paid him to do.” Along with ‘Tank’s tweet, there were other signs that something was off, too.

After frequent updates about his trips to different destinations – the most recent ones about his Dubai visit – the undefeated former champion had not posted on his Instagram over the past week. In light of Davis’ tweet and all the speculation it raised, boxing agent Rick Glaser attested to the current WBA lightweight champion’s comments.

“Just got off the phone with my guy in Dubai. He told me that Floyd Mayweather is definitely being held by the Government court system there as he owes a substantial amount of money in Dubai. Was told the debt is unassociated with boxing.” And now, for the latest riff on the matter, UFC commentator Chael Sonnen thinks it all might be a big, albeit very strange, misunderstanding. Sonnen confidently declared on his YouTube channel, “I looked into it again and again, and it appears that Floyd is being held in Dubai.”

He claimed that the current version of events about why he was held made no sense. “Floyd held an event in Dubai, Floyd did not pay the athletes in Dubai. They do not take debt as a forgiving measure [in Dubai].” The former UFC title contender was also not convinced by this story because “I don’t remember Floyd putting on a show over there. I don’t remember Floyd putting on an event.”

This brought Sonnen to what he felt happened. The UFC legend theorized that Mayweather’s team, The Money Team, was “paid by the sports authority of Dubai. They then did what’s called conversion, where you took [the authority’s money] and converted it to your own.” However, Sonnen brought up the possibility that The Money Team didn’t know it was actually for an event and accidentally laundered it.

“If Floyd did not do that, I wouldn’t want him to be held. And if the number is $18 million that he was paid that was supposed to go this way, but The Money Team converted that money… money laundering is always been easiest to do through fighting.” Sonnen is the first to make these claims, which are based upon certain assumptions that cannot be verified at the moment.

However, following Gervonta Davis’ explosive tweet about Floyd Mayweather’s situation last week, ‘Uncle Chael’ was among the first ones to jump into the fray, offering his help ‘rescuing’ Mayweather from captivity in Dubai. After Davis tweeted, “They got Floyd a** for real..tell him I’ll send him a wire..LET MY F***ING FAMILY GO,” Sonnen asked, “How can I help?” 

While new speculations and theories regarding the 47-year-old’s absence are likely to emerge every day, one report does disprove the “can’t leave Dubai” claims…

Floyd Mayweather was reportedly seen at a recent NBA game

Amid rumors of being held captive in Dubai, Floyd Mayweather reportedly made an appearance during Game 5 of the Clippers vs. Mavericks series in the NBA Playoffs. On his way to the basketball game at Crypto.com Arena – a sport which has become a favorite of the boxing legend since he retired in 2017 – ‘Money’ gave three homeless men $30,000, according to TMZ Sports, who interviewed one of the men on condition of anonymity.

Mayweather interacted with the people and felt moved by their predicament and thus, without thinking twice, decided to make their day. While some are claiming that this confirms the reports of Mayweather being held captive were false, that is not a foregone conclusion. Mayweather’s reported presence at the game only tells us he is free to move around now. It does not speak to whether or not Mayweather was being held against his will in Dubai over the past week.

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And Chael Sonnen, bizarrely, thinks that all of this may have been a misunderstanding that led to the undefeated boxer’s team accidentally laundering the money given to them to hold a boxing card. What are your thoughts about the whole affair? Let us know in the comments.