Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana Fight Time, Projected Winner and Vegas Odds

The last time Floyd Mayweather stepped into a ring with Marcos Maidana, the result felt like a foregone conclusion. It felt like Mayweather was phoning in an easy win before preparing for his annual September blowout. It felt like you didn't even need to order the fight on pay-per-view to know what was going to transpire.

The feeling won't be nearly the same for Part 2.

In one of the year's surprisingly stellar fights, Maidana battled Mayweather for 12 rounds, only to lose in a controversial majority decision. The Argentine acquitted himself in the ring so well that Mayweather will be going head-to-head with the same fighter in consecutive bouts for the first time in more than a decade.

Suffice it to say Showtime won't have any trouble with marketing this time around, either.

Maidana, a risk-taker who packs a walloping right hand, makes for a beautiful stylistic contrast to the defensive-minded and cerebral style of Mayweather. But Maidana surprised pundits by sticking with his opponent for the entire fight. He adjusted to Mayweather's adjustments, and frankly Money looked a little underprepared.

Will we see a repeat of history, only this time with Maidana coming out on top? Or will the four-month layoff give Mayweather enough time to dissect Maidana the way he's done to so many in the past? We'll find out in a few days. Until then, let's break this fight down preview style.

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Information

When: Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas

Watch: Showtime Pay-Per-View

Stream: Showtime

Odds: Mayweather minus-800, per Odds Shark

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Preview

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Luckily, people don't change all that much in four months. We have a pretty good idea of what to expect from both fighters, mainly because we just went through this exact same experience in May. Basically, this feels like it'll be akin to watching Breaking Bad a second time: It will still be fun, and you'll notice subtleties you missed the first time around, but it won't be nearly as captivating.

Maidana's best strategy remains taking advantage of the opportunities granted early in a fight. Nearly every first round against Mayweather is winnable. He's out to read his opponent for the first few rounds, dance around a little bit, see the plan of attack and adjust himself mentally. Many praise Mayweather's all-time great defensive skills, but his quickness only tells part of the story.

Mayweather is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in history because of his mind. He adjusts better mid-fight than anyone in his generation and takes advantage when opponents do not have a second plan of attack. Having already gone against Maidana once, Mayweather is going to need less time to adjust.

Of course, Maidana's plan of attack will have to be a little cleaner this time around. Working with every weapon at his disposal, the 31-year-old brawler unfurled a series of low blows, a headbutt and even a tackle in the 11th round. 

"He's a very, very dirty fighter," Mayweather told David Mayo of MLive.com in August. "The cut over my eye didn't come from a shot. It came from a headbutt. Low blows, knees. But I can't cry or complain."

As Mayo notes, Maidana was not deducted any points despite multiple warnings from referee Tony Weeks. With so much attention being called to the way Maidana fights—most notably by Mayweather, who might have a thing or six to be gained here—it's only natural for the referee to keep a closer eye. I'd be shocked if there wasn't a warning within the first two or three rounds of the fight.

That's not exactly good for Maidana, who used those questionable tactics to keep Mayweather off-balance. Though accidental, the gash above Mayweather's eye came from a headbutt. Even Maidana's camp acknowledges fighting right up to the edge of the "dirty" line is the only way they can overcome the obvious skill disadvantage.

"Once we know who the referee is and we talk to him, and I’m going to tell him that’s [fighting rough] our chance," trainer Robert Garcia told Radio Raheem in July. That’s the way we fight, give us a break. Don’t take that chance away from us.”

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Asking for something not to be taken away? Probably not the best idea. The easiest way for an official/parent/person of authority to figure out the worst possible punishment for someone under them is having said person identity it themselves. The only way Maidana has a chance against Mayweather is to straddle the line between strategically dirty and full Mike Tyson. The bouts of chippiness prevented Mayweather from getting into a comfortable rhythm.

And yet he still won the first fight by a considerable margin on two scorecards. We're 46 fights into his career at this point. Anyone who picks Mayweather to lose is doing it so he can throw it in your face on the off chance Maidana shocks the world with a knockout punch. No one outside Maidana's immediate circle, when placed under oath, would honestly pick him to win this fight.

So, yeah. Mayweather in a unanimous decision.

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