Floyd Mayweather Next Opponent: Date Set, But Who Will Money Fight In Fourth Showtime Bout?

A date has been set for Floyd Mayweather’s next fight, shortly after the boxer improved his career record to 46-0. On May 3, he defeated Marcos Maidana in a majority decision.

The world’s best pound-for-pound fighter will get back in the ring on Sept. 13. Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN.com that a location for the bout still has to be chosen. Mayweather’s next opponent is also uncertain.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is the most likely venue for the upcoming bout. It’s been the location of Mayweather’s previous nine fights, and he hasn’t fought outside of Las Vegas since 2005. It’s possible that Mayweather will look for a change of scenery in December. He debated going to Brooklyn for his last bout, and the Barclays Center will again be an option.

"[Barclays Center chief executive] Brett [Yormark] and those guys at the Barclays Center made a tremendous offer for the Maidana fight and I'm sure they'll be looking to be in the Floyd Mayweather business again come September, but the MGM is Floyd's home and they are always the leading candidate," Ellerbe told ESPN.com.

After Mayweather defeated Canelo Alvarez in September of last year, it took him over six months to choose his next opponent. With just four months in between his 2014 fights, a decision on his next challenger should be made in the next two weeks.

Many boxers are looking to get their chance with Mayweather, but only a few have a realistic shot of facing the champ. Even though he just lost to the undefeated boxer, Maidana is among the top candidates to fight Mayweather on Sept. 13. He gave Mayweather a competitive bout, and the 37-year-old said he’d give Maidana a rematch, immediately following their fight.

"He's definitely in the mix," Ellerbe said. "He's a very dirty fighter. He used a lot of dirty tactics, but Floyd handled him easily and he gave the fans a great fight. But there's a long list of opponents. Everybody wants to be in the Floyd Mayweather sweepstakes. Several guys have made it clear they want to be next."

The confirmed date likely rules out Amir Khan as a 2014 opponent for Mayweather. Khan will observe Ramadan in July, and won’t have enough time to recover for a fight in the summer. Khan was Mayweather’s second choice for his last bout, and the Brit dominated Luis Collazo on the same night that Mayweather beat Maidana.

Mayweather’s next fight will be the fourth on his Showtime contract. He is signed for six fights, likely ending with a bout in September 2015.

There had been rumors that Mayweather was considering retirement following the Maidana bout, but he doesn't look close to being done. Eighteen years after his first victory, it's unlikely that any current boxer is a legitimate threat to his perfect record.