Mayweather: Wilder 'still a winner in my eyes'

He may have suffered the first loss of his professional career on Saturday, yet Deontay Wilder has received Floyd Mayweather's support.

Deontay Wilder during his match with Tyson Fury.

Floyd Mayweather described Deontay Wilder as "still a winner in my eyes" despite the American losing his WBC world heavyweight title to Tyson Fury in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Wilder suffered the first loss of his 44-fight professional career at the MGM Grand when his corner threw in the towel in the seventh round as Fury captured the strap he had held since 2015.

READ |

The 34-year-old knocked Fury down twice in their original fight, which ended in a draw, but he was dominated by the Briton in the rematch.

Mayweather, a former world champion at five weight classes, never tasted defeat in 50 fights yet he showed his support to Wilder in a social media post.

"Win, Lose or Draw.... Deontay @BronzeBomber is our brother that has accomplished many triumphs and as a community we should all uplift and support him throughout it all," Mayweather wrote on Instagram.

"No matter what, you're still a winner in my eyes, King!"

Wilder could yet face Fury in a third match if he decides to invoke a rematch clause written into the original contract.