Mayweather vs. Maidana Rematch: Odds, Fight Card Schedule and Projections

Marcos Rene Maidana will get another chance to do what no one else in history has been able to do: beat Floyd Mayweather.

The two talented fighters battled in May, with Mayweather coming away with a majority decision. However, the match was closer than most expected as Maidana put a lot of pressure on the champion in the early rounds.

Although he slowed down toward the end, he fared better than almost anyone else who has fought against Mayweather.

Between this rematch and a wide variety of undercard bouts, this is a pay-per-view that boxing fans should be excited to watch.

When: Saturday, September 13

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Showtime PPV

Odds (via OddsShark as of Sept. 13): Mayweather (-800), Maidana (+500)

Pre-PPV

Humberto Soto vs. John Molina

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Before the PPV begins, the night will start with one match on Showtime. According to Steve Kim of Max Boxing, this could be the best contest of the night:

Humberto Soto and John Molina have been around for a while and have the experience to make it an exciting match. They are unafraid to go for a knockout, even if it leaves them a little exposed on the other end.

Most importantly, neither of these boxers have much to lose, which will keep them aggressive in this bout. Fans will be treated to a close battle with both sides throwing huge punches throughout.

The only difference will be momentum and confidence. Soto has more of both after winning six matches in a row while Molina has struggled lately. This could be enough to help him earn a victory by knockout in what should be a back-and-forth battle.

Prediction: Soto wins by TKO in sixth round

PPV Undercard

Miguel Vazquez vs. Mickey Bey

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

While Miguel Vazquez continues to defend his title, he has not gotten the respect he deserves as a top fighter. He is looking to change that with a strong performance against Mickey Bey, as reported by Dan Rafael of ESPN.com:

"

I'm looking forward to fighting at MGM Grand again and on this amazing Floyd Mayweather card. It's time to get to business and get in the best shape ever so I'm ready to put on a show. I respect Mickey Bey, but I plan on winning convincingly to show that I'm one of the best in the lightweight division.

"

"Winning convincingly" will be the key part after struggling to separate himself in the past. He uses a defensive style to avoid big hits, and while this helps him on the scorecards, it does nothing to impress fans and experts.

Bey will have a hard time breaking through the defense to land many punches, but he will keep it close enough to go the distance. In the end, Vasquez will be left with another unimpressive win.

Prediction: Vazquez wins by unanimous decision

Alfredo Angulo vs. James De La Rosa

After a rough stretch of matches, Alfredo Angulo is hoping to get back on track against James De La Rosa. The Mexican fighter has lost three of his last five matches, all of which by TKO.

Angulo was knocked out by Erislandy Lara last year and then by Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in March. He still has plenty of ability, but the 32-year-old boxer is clearly no longer in the same class as these top competitors.

Things will be easier against James De La Rosa, a relatively inexperienced fighter with few big wins on his resume. This will certainly be the biggest bout in his career, and there will be questions about how he is able to handle the extra attention.

Despite the obvious talent, he will be unable to keep up with Angulo, as the veteran will use his experience to his advantage. De La Rosa will win a few rounds, but it will not be enough to pull out the win.

Prediction: Angulo wins by unanimous decision

Leo Santa Cruz vs. Manuel Roman

All of the pressure in this match will be on Leo Santa Cruz.

The 26-year-old has built up an impressive 27-0-1 record in his career while securing the WBC Super Bantamweight championship. The problem is his lack of major wins as he continues to beat mediocre opponents.

Of course, beating an average boxer is better than losing. Manuel Roman has the talent to surprise in this contest with his hard-hitting ability, especially if he is able to correctly time some quality counter-punches in this bout.

Santa Cruz has to be alert throughout the match to avoid a potential disaster. As long as he stays on his feet, though, he should have no problem getting after Roman and earning the dominant victory everyone is expecting.

Prediction: Santa Cruz wins by TKO in seventh round

Main Event

Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Rene Maidana

Maidana had some bold statements about Mayweather leading up to the rematch, according to Elias Cepeda of Yahoo Sports:

"

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.

"

The 31-year-old fighter is one of the few people who can call Mayweather "hittable" after his performance in the first match. Although he only landed 26 percent of his punches, the 221 landed hits were the most against the undefeated fighter in his career, according to Compubox.

If Maidana comes out just as aggressive while being just a little more accurate, he could end up causing some serious damage.

That being said, Mayweather has built up a 46-0 career record for a number of reasons. Not only is he great technically, but he is also very smart in the ring and knows how to get the better of his opponent each time out. In a rematch, he will have a better understanding of what to expect.

While Money has certainly lost a step in recent years, he still will not allow too many big hits against him.

Look for the veteran fighter to move around even more than usual, avoiding contact and waiting for the perfect time to strike. It will not always be pretty, but he will do enough to impress the judges and earn another victory.

Prediction: Mayweather wins by split decision

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