Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Highlights: Recap, Results, Analysis of Complete Fight

Floyd Mayweather (47-0-0, 26 KOs) defeated Marcos Maidana (35-5-0, 31 KOs) by unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada after 12 rounds of boxing that lacked the relentless pace from the first bout.

ESPN's Dan Rafael relayed the numbers on the judges' scorecards:

The difference in strategies was clear from the opening bell. Maidana, who attacked heavily from the start back in May, opted to feel out his opponent in Round 1.

His measured approach didn't do him any favors; the relative paucity of punches allowed Mayweather to move around the ring and prevented Maidana from finding any clean shots. This pattern continued throughout the entire second round.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated thought Maidana looked like a fighter without a plan in between the ropes:

Showtime Stats showed just how difficult it was for Maidana to land his power punches early on:

Mayweather's counter right hand was working quite well in the early rounds. He caught Maidana flush midway through the first round, drawing a mixture of cheers and jeers from the raucous MGM Grand crowd. Maidana got his own power punch in at the bell in Round 3.

BoxingScene.com called it the best punch of the fight up to that point:

The powerful punch clearly emboldened the Argentine fighter, and he steadily increased the pace and pressure in Round 4 and was able to land some solid combinations to Mayweather's body. Maidana started to resemble the fighter who caused Money so many problems with his relentless style in the first bout.

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However, Mayweather re-established control in the fifth round, staying off the ropes and controlling the tempo of the bout with his footwork and ability to maintain distance from his opponent. He continued to land stinging counter punches that stopped Maidana in his tracks and allowed the 37-year-old champion to keep control of the ring. 

Showtime Stats gave an updated on the body-punch numbers at the midway point:

Mayweather was ahead by a single body blow, but anyone watching the fight could see that Maidana expended much more energy to put up comparable numbers.

Rafael could sense Mayweather settling into cruise control once the first six rounds were in the history books:

Mayweather made it clear prior to the fight that he wanted to throw more combinations, and he indeed looked to be more aggressive in the rematch, much to his benefit. He commented, via Rafael and ESPN.com:

"

I expect to throw more combinations this time. I can't say if the rematch will be easier. I won the first fight, [so] it's up to him to change. The champ can make adjustments and I can be especially smart about it. Nobody can solve the May-Vinci code.

"

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Mayweather controlled the fight in Round 7, and he did well to get Maidana on the ropes at one point in Round 8. It was clear that Maidana was running out of options. This led to a very strange moment toward the end of the round, with Mayweather claiming that Maidana bit him.

Mannix appeared to be thoroughly confused by the incident:

BoxingScene.com gave their take on the timeout:

Emotions began to boil over in the ninth round, with the referee exhorting both fighters to maintain a clean fight. Mayweather appeared visibly upset but continued to outbox his opponent.

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The 31-year-old challenger created another controversial moment when he apparently pushed Mayweather to the canvas. Boxing journalist Kevin Iole stated that the challenger, clearly with no control over the fight, lost a point for his actions:

Maidana expended whatever was left of his energy in the final round, but Mayweather stayed upright and was able to clinch the result that, by this point, was indisputable.

Despite the convincing victory, Mayweather barely gave himself a passing grade. Via SportsCenter:

Maidana's inability to maintain consistent pressure and focus from round to round hurt him in this one. He showed that there is another dimension to his prizefighting abilities, but it wasn't the right opponent for him to display a greater sense of tactical awareness. As the fight wore on, it became clear his only option was a knockout. By that point, however, he had ceded too much control to his undefeated opponent.

For Mayweather, the bout proved that he is a master at handling all different styles of boxing. He kept control of the center of the ring, sidestepped the majority of Maidana's most vicious blows and threw numerous strong counters that scored him easy points from the first round to the last. 

Expect Mayweather to pursue 50 wins as he looks to cement his legacy as one of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time. No matter the opponent, it is clearly a foolish proposition to bet against Money after all that he has proven in the ring so far.