Pacquiao vs. Rios: Key Statistics from Unanimous-Decision Fight

He's back.

Manny Pacquiao made his return to professional boxing with a dominant unanimous-decision victory over Brandon Rios. It was a vintage performance by the 34-year-old, who used his power and precision to overwhelm "Bam Bam."

Upon evaluating the statistics, it becomes clear how this bout transpired.

It's easy to say that Pacquiao dominated the fight, but that word doesn't do his performance justice. Rios fought throughout, but Pac-Man was in control from start to finish, and the outcome was never in doubt.

The scorecards reflected such.

The judges got this one right.

Pacquiao was thorough, using his fists and footwork to routinely catch Rios off guard. The Laredo, Texas native smiled and shook his head after every blow, but it became clear after a short period of time that he was overmatched.

He managed to avoid a knockout, but this was a one-sided bout.

From start to finish, Pacquiao displayed the in-ring prowess that he was once commended for as one of boxing's biggest draws. After he suffered two straight losses, there were questions about whether or not he could return to that status.

After Saturday night, there shouldn't be any questions remaining.

If you're searching for an adjective for his performance, it's likely "brilliant."

Pacquiao landed 281 total punches on a conversion percentage of 35.6. That equates to an average of 23.4 punches landed per round. That's more than double the total and average that Bam Bam managed to put together.

Rios landed 138 punches total on a conversion percentage of 27.5. That averages out to 11.5 punches landed per round.

It doesn't get much more dominant than that margin.

When a fighter lands more than twice as many punches as his opponent, the fight was about more than just offense. Pacquiao's hands were flying, and his punches were landing, but those weren't even the most impressive aspects of this win.

What was astonishing was his defense.

Rios attempted 502 punches yet only managed to land 138. Pac-Man's evasion and protection tactics were stunning, and they kept Rios off balance throughout the duration of the fight.

Even when Bam Bam managed to land punches, Pacquiao made sure they weren't powerful enough to make an impact.

How do you stop that? Spoiler alert: You don't.

Whether or not Pacquiao is ready to take on Floyd Mayweather is unclear, but he made a statement in this fight. Pac-Man was brilliant against Rios, pulling out all of the necessary tricks to dominate from bell to bell.

If you weren't sure before, you know now: Pacquiao is back.