Floyd Mayweather says he plans to fight Miguel Cotto on May 5

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. told the Nevada State Athletric Commission at a licensing hearing Wednesday that he intends to fight super-welterweight world champion Miguel Cotto on May 5 at MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

World welterweight champion Mayweather (42-0) faces a June 1 deadline to report to jail in Clark County, Nev., after a plea deal in a domestic violence case.

[Updated, 11:10 a.m. Feb. 1: The commission granted Mayweather a license to fight May 5 on the condition that he comply with all of the judge’s orders in his criminal case, including reporting to jail as scheduled June 1.]

He told commissioners Wednesday that he would begin his jail sentence on that date, a commitment that was cited by Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, as a complication in arranging the anticipated super-fight between the men considered the world’s top two boxers, pound-for-pound.

Instead, Mayweather has turned to Arum’s former fighter, Cotto, who has lost only to Antonio Margarito and Pacquiao (by technical knockout in November 2009), and avenged the Margarito loss by TKO in December in New York.

The bout was Cotto’s last on his contract with Arum’s Top Rank promoting company, and he’s now made a free-agent splash in positioning for a date with Mayweather.

By doing so, the likelihood increases that Pacquiao will now fight Cathedral City’s unbeaten junior-welterweight world champion, Timothy Bradley, on June 9.

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-- Lance Pugmire