Mayweather to face Alvarez Sept. 14

LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather will fight young Mexican star Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand.

“I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez,” Mayweather said Wednesday night on Twitter. “I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.”

Alvarez sent a tweet in Spanish announcing the fight.

Mayweather, 36, is unbeaten in 44 fights, the last a unanimous 12-round decision over Robert Guerrero on May 4 at the MGM Grand in defense of his 147-pound title.

Alvarez is 42-0-1. The 22-year-old fighter unified the 154-pound titles April 20 in San Antonio with a unanimous victory over Austin Trout.

The fight will be contested at a catch weight of 152 pounds for all of their titles.

As rare as it is for two unbeaten fighters in their prime to meet, it is just as rare for them to compete for titles in two weight classes.

“Floyd has said from Day 1 that he wants to give fans the best fight out there and here it is,” Mayweather’s co-manager, Leonard Ellerbe, told the AP. “We have the two biggest stars in the sport, and they’re fighting each other Sept. 14.”

The bout will be the second in Mayweather’s six-fight, 30-month contract with Showtime that could pay him more than $200 million.