Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana 2: Fight Card Highlights and Online Odds
Here we go again. When Marcos Maidana met Floyd Mayweather in May, the result was one of the most exciting fights we've seen from the pound-for-pound king in quite some time. Maidana's brute force and brawling style overpowered the fleet-footed Mayweather early in the match, but Money prevailed in the end—and in a much closer fight than was anticipated.
While the second bout between these two fighters is expected to be highly contested yet again, a couple of its undercard fights could prove equally as entertaining. The fight card of this impending rematch doesn't boast a star-studded cast, as it did the first time around, but there are titles on the line and realistic chances for upset victories.
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Before all of the action gets underway on Saturday night, let's take a look at the updated Vegas odds for each bout and highlight the undercard's best fights.
Online Odds
| Floyd Mayweather Jr. (13/100) | Marcos Maidana (5/1) |
| Leo Santa Cruz (1/100) | Manuel Roman (20/1) |
| Miguel Vazquez (9/25) | Mickey Bey (2/1) |
| Alfredo Angulo (1/5) | James De la Rosa (377/100) |
| John Molina Jr. (9/25) | Humberto Soto (2/1) |
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Fight Card Highlights
Humberto Soto vs. John Molina
This fight could easily provide the biggest thrills of the evening. Both Soto and Molina are looking for redemption after losing to Lucas Matthysse. Soto fell to the slugger in April, while Molina is riding a six-fight win streak since his loss to Matthysse back in 2012.
Soto is quick on his feet and has a great deal of power; however, he's currently fighting well above his natural weight. That could prove to be his undoing, as he'll need to rely more on technique rather than power to get past a bigger opponent in Molina.
One thing Soto will heavily rely upon on Saturday is his experience. Steve Kim of UCNLive.com tweeted the fighter's staggering amount of professional bouts:
Molina won't be looking to take steps backward, and he should be expected to stand toe to toe with Soto on Saturday night. His 72" reach will be one of his biggest assets against Soto—a three-inch advantage in that department will surely come into play.
During an interview with FightHype.com, Molina explained why his bout will be the one to watch:
Will Molina get back on track against Soto after finishing his last bout on the wrong end of a knockout, or will Soto continue his hot streak and extend his winning streak to seven? This question will be answered in short order following the conclusion of what's expected to be a tremendously explosive fight.
Miguel Vazquez vs. Mickey Bey
Vazquez will be defending his IBF lightweight title against Bey in this highly anticipated undercard bout. What's intriguing about this fight is the fact that neither fighter has been touted as one of the most exciting in the lightweight division.
Vazquez has an impressive record, winning his last 13 matches since falling to Saul Alvarez back in 2008. ESPN's Dan Rafael tweeted what drives Vazquez:
Bey has only lost one fight—a knockout at the hands of Molina—but doesn't exactly have an impressive resume. Still, he believes he's a better all-around fighter than Vazquez and stated as much at a recent press conference, via EastSideBoxing.com:
"I just need to do what I've been doing in the gym. If I fight the way I've been looking in the gym, then Miguel Vazquez won't have a chance against me. Honestly, I think I'm better than him at everything. He's a smart good fighter but he can't match anything that I can do. He has experience, but none of his wins have been impressive. I have more speed, power and defense.
"
Bey certainly appears to have plenty of confidence heading into the fight; however, one thing he does not have is an advantage when standing toe to toe with Vazquez. With a 72" reach, Vazquez has a three-inch advantage over Bey. While Vazquez hasn't produced a knockout since 2011, he's more than capable of racking up points to gain the decision.
While Vazquez is the favorite, Bey has shown his skill set on a big stage in the past. Despite being knocked out by Molina in 2013, he dominated the fight for the first nine rounds. If he can channel the form he showed in that bout, he may have a chance of an upset on Saturday night.
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