Aaron Chalmers went from an oil rig to Geordie Shore – and now fighting Floyd Mayweather
Aaron Chalmers swapped working on an oil rig to reality star fame when starring in Geordie Shore – and he can’t quite believe he’s now fighting Floyd Mayweather.
Chalmers put his name forward for The O2 event on February 25 following an injury to Mayweather’s planned opponent – eagerly waiting by the phone before getting the career-defining go ahead in late January.
Now 35, Chalmers found fame in Newcastle as a Geordie Shore regular and also appeared on Ex on the Beach before making his MMA debut.
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Following three wins on UK based BAMMA he was snapped up by Bellator, winning two of his four bouts before retiring and moving into boxing.
Chalmers won on his professional debut at the Echo Arena in Liverpool back in June but began to question his switch before booking a bout with the greatest of all time.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport, Chalmers said: “Towards the end of last year I thought that was me done in boxing. It was just a bad year. In my personal life and in boxing nothing seemed to go my way.
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“I thought I wasn’t getting anywhere with fighting or training, six weeks later I’m in the running to fight Floyd Mayweather at The O2.
“When I think back, it’s been like a f***ing movie. From oil rigs to Geordie Shore to MMA to boxing and now fighting Floyd Mayweather… it’s mad. It’s just crazy and I’m rolling with the punches.”
He added: “It’s a dream come true, it’s put me right back in the mix for more big fights with the likes of Tommy Fury, KSI and Jake Paul, this puts me right back in.”
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(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Since his final professional bout against Conor McGregor, which pushed his record to a perfect 50-0, 45-year-old Mayweather has been on a tour of exhibition bouts.
A win over Tenshin Nasukawa was followed by eight rounds with Logan Paul and then Don Moore, with stoppages of Mikuru Asakura and Deji Olatunji in 2022.
Although he is yet to have any personal interaction with Chalmers, Mayweather has given his thanks for keeping the event on track.
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He said: “I was originally supposed to face a different opponent, but injuries happen and I’m glad that Aaron Chalmers could step up so that we could give the fans what they want.
“The fans in the UK have always been great to me and supported me throughout my career, so an event like this has been a long time coming. I’m excited to add more history to the O2 Arena in London.”
Chalmers has stepped up his training before the bout, after which he will return north to be with his family with his son set to undergo head surgery.
The former reality star has been training hard with Adam Booth, joking on social media that Mayweather will be leaving London with a record of 50-1.
He concluded: “I’ve been giving him a bit of s*** on social media so I reckon I’m gonna get a few smacks haha. I’m going to have to just try and react to what he does.
“I know I’m in there for a fight and if it comes to biting down on the gumshield and having a fight then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Aaron Chalmers takes on Floyd Mayweather in his UK debut on on Saturday 25 February with tickets available here. The fight can also be streamed from Zeus TV.
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