Floyd Mayweather Next Opponent: If Not Manny Pacquiao, Then Who?

Coming off his unanimous decision win over Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather still has at least one more fight before he calls it quits. While the possibility of a rematch isn’t out of the question, Mayweather will be looking to take on another boxer in his next fight.

The undefeated boxer has gone back and forth on the idea of Mayweather-Pacquiao II, first saying he would grant PacMan a rematch, while recanting his statement a few days later. Even if Mayweather eventually decides to give Pacquiao a rematch, shoulder surgery will keep the Filipino out until 2016, and Mayweather is likely to fight again in September.

The opponent that makes the most sense might be Amir Khan. Mayweather considered fighting the Brit over a year ago, but he ultimately decided to take on Marcos Maidana. Khan has been lobbying to fight the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer since 2013, and it appears that Mayweather is open to making the fight happen.

"I think the fight is there,” Khan, told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek, following the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. “I spoke to Len Ellerbe, [Mayweather’s] manager. I saw him in the media room and he came over to say, 'Hi...he’s ready when you are.'"

Last year, Khan ruled out fighting Mayweather in September because he couldn’t train while observing Ramadan in July. This time around, Khan says there’s a chance he would be able to make a September fight work. Khan has won his last four bouts, and he’s set to face Chris Algieri on May 29 in Brooklyn.

A fight with Khan might be the best Mayweather could hope for in the welterweight division. After finally beating Pacquiao, Mayweather has taken on most of the legitimate challengers in his weight class.

"He’s fought pretty much all the guys that’s around here," Floyd Mayweather Sr. said after the historic May 2 bout. "All the hard-hitters. There’s nothing left to do. My son needs to take this contract and end it. He’s out of tough fights. He ain’t got nothing left to prove."

If Mayweather is looking to make a bigger fight for what will likely be his last ever match, he could look to move outside of his division. There was speculation in January that Mayweather was considering a rematch with Miguel Cotto, who currently holds the WBC middleweight championship. However, Mayweather agreed to face Pacquiao, and Cotto will fight Daniel Geale on June 6.

Mayweather defeated Cotto in a unanimous decision in May 2012, but it was one of Mayweather’s most challenging fights in recent years. It would be just the third rematch on Mayweather’s resume.

But if Cotto defeats Geale, he might have his next fight lined up. He is looking to fight Canelo Alvarez, and the winner of that bout would be slated to defend the middleweight championship against Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.

Many fans are hoping that Mayweather will consider a fight with Golovkin, who just recorded his 20th consecutive knockout. But there is little to no chance that fight will be made.