Judge denies restraining order, clearing Floyd Mayweather vs. Mike Zambidis bout to proceed

A federal judge has denied CSI Sports' request for a temporary restraining order aimed at stopping Floyd Mayweather's exhibition fight with Mike Zambidis, removing the immediate legal barrier to the bout and sending the dispute back into the underlying contract case.

The ruling matters because the Athens exhibition had already been put on hold while CSI pursued emergency relief. With the restraining order denied, the fight can move forward again unless there is another court filing or a change in the schedule.

What the judge decided

CSI asked the court to block Mayweather from proceeding with the Zambidis fight. The judge declined to issue the temporary restraining order, which addressed only the emergency request and not the full merits of CSI's broader lawsuit.

Bad Left Hook reported that the court found CSI had not shown irreparable harm, while MMAmania reported that the denial let the fight move forward again. The reporting available so far does not indicate that the contract dispute itself has been resolved.

How the dispute got here

The bout was originally scheduled for June 27, 2026, in Athens, Greece, but the legal fight interrupted it before it could go ahead. CSI then moved for emergency relief, arguing that Mayweather was bound by an existing promotional arrangement.

According to the reporting, CSI says that agreement is tied to fights involving Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson. The company has also said it paid Mayweather millions in advances connected to those promotional rights.

That broader breach-of-contract lawsuit remains active. The judge's ruling only answered the immediate question of whether the fight should be stopped while that case continues.

The competing arguments

Mayweather's attorney, David Jonelis, said in a statement quoted by ESPN that the litigation was being used to stop Mayweather from earning a living. CSI attorney Judd Burstein said the ruling turned on the immediate irreparable-harm question and said CSI expected its rights to be vindicated later.

Those competing claims frame the next phase of the case. Mayweather's side is treating the decision as a green light to keep working, while CSI is continuing to press the view that the court has not yet reached the merits of its contract claims.

Why it matters

The fight with Zambidis is the immediate event at issue, but the case also has implications for Mayweather's other promotional plans. Coverage around the dispute has tied it to proposed future fights involving Tyson and Pacquiao, both of which remain unsettled.

That makes the TRO ruling more than a one-off scheduling decision. It affects whether Mayweather can move ahead with the Athens exhibition now, while CSI tries to preserve whatever promotional rights it says it still holds.

What happens next

The next developments to watch are whether the court issues a written order explaining the denial, whether the Zambidis bout gets a confirmed new date, and whether CSI seeks any further emergency relief or a stay.

For now, the practical result is straightforward: the restraining-order request failed, the immediate block on Mayweather vs. Zambidis is off, and CSI's contract case continues in the background.