Floyd Mayweather Fires Referee Mid-Fight During Gotti Bout

Floyd Mayweather took matters into his own hands Saturday during his rematch against John Gotti by dismissing the referee mid-match, TMZ reported.

The incident occurred when referee Hector Afu penalized Mayweather for a right hook, which Mayweather and many ringside observers believed was legal. The 47-year-old Mayweather gestured for Afu to exit the ring, resulting in Afu’s departure amid a heated verbal exchange, according to TMZ.

The firing of the referee mid-fight proved to be the most intense action of the night, as the match itself featured no knockdowns and lacked the dynamic exchanges expected from such high-profile fighters, TMZ reported. Unlike their previous encounter, which ended in a wild brawl and a disqualification for Gotti for excessive holding, the exhibition fight concluded without official scoring or a declared winner, though commentators concurred that Mayweather had the upper hand throughout.