Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Odds: Latest Fight Lines for Money vs. El Chino Rematch

As the days count down, creeping closer to the epic rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana, you are starting to see that the people making the odds are not concerned about what happened between these two fighters in May.

If you forgot, Mayweather did prevail in that first clash thanks to a majority decision. Maidana did prove to be a worthwhile challenger, hitting Mayweather more than anyone else ever has (221 times), though there was never any danger "Money" was going down. 

Moving forward four months, it would be understandable if the oddsmakers were starting to feel skeptical about Mayweather. He is still winning fights, but he hasn't scored a knockout in two years and has won his last two bouts by majority decision. 

The odds have largely stayed the same, overwhelmingly in Mayweather's favor, and prove that when all else fails, the only certain things are death, taxes and Vegas loving an undefeated champion. 

Fighter	American Odds	Fractional Odds
Floyd Mayweather	-800	1/8
Marcos Maidana	+500	5/1

What They Are Saying

Since one of the key parts of boxing is trash talk, it makes sense to watch what Mayweather and Maidana are saying about each other leading up to their September 13 clash. It may not surprise you to hear they don't sound ready to exchange birthday cards. 

Starting with Maidana, who can legitimately claim to have given Mayweather his toughest test ever before falling short of victory—he's not buying into the hype for the undefeated superstar coming off that loss. 

Speaking to the media in August, via Elias Cepeda of Yahoo Sports, Maidana said Mayweather gets over-hyped because of his ability to draw a crowd:

"

He's not as good as people think. I was able to pin him to the ropes and land punches, so he's not as difficult or as invincible as people think. He's hittable. You can land on him. I made mistakes. I was a little too anxious. He never hurt me, but he's got a respectable punch. You've got to respect him.

"

It's easy to claim that Maidana is trying to pump himself up, but at some point Mayweather is going to run into a punch that knocks him down. El Chino was throwing heavy fists last time and made it look easy at times, especially early in the fight. 

Mayweather is 37 years old with 46 professional fights under his belt. His body has taken a beating over the years. Eventually the things that made you great dissipate, forcing you to adapt your style. 

We may not be seeing that point with Mayweather yet, but it's certainly possible the moment is closer than anyone wants to admit. Maidana proved he can punch the champion as much as anyone has.

We've seen Maidana's power play up in past fights, most notably against Adrien Broner, which all but led to the first fight with Money, so all it takes is one good punch to end Mayweather's nearly 20-year undefeated streak.  

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

On the other side, Mayweather doesn't seem concerned about Maidana's power because of his ability to do everything in the boxing ring. He told David Mayo of MLive.com that chameleon-like adaptability makes him more dangerous than anyone else:

"

What I can do, what makes me a little different than any other fighter, is I'm well-rounded and very versatile, as far as I can box, I can counterpunch, I can bang, I can do a little bit of everything. That's why I'm at the pinnacle in the sport right now. Can he switch up anything? I don't really think so. I mean, that's just my gut feeling.

"

You have to give Mayweather points for more humility than he usually shows, saying it's just his "gut feeling" that Maidana can't do nearly as many things in the ring. 

It's also telling that Mayweather seems to have an understanding of his limitations. He can punch as well as anyone in the sport because of his accuracy, but that's not how he makes a living. 

Mayweather's made a living by eating opponents alive with his ability to dance in and out, showing precise striking that rivals Greg Maddux's ability to paint corners with a baseball. 

It's not exactly bulletin-board trash talk from these two stars, but there is an air of respect between them that usually doesn't come across from Mayweather in fights because he's used to being exponentially better than anyone he steps in the ring with. 

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