Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Highlights: Full Recap of Money's Impressive Win

Floyd Mayweather further enhanced his reputation as one of modern boxing's greatest icons thanks to a unanimous decision win over Marcos Maidana on Saturday evening.

There was no doubting the validity of the triumph as "Money" started slow but finished things as the far stronger of the two, Mayweather Promotions confirming the scorecard:

While the fight was still in its infancy, Maidana looked as though he might build on the close parameters of their last meeting. While the scores will have gone in the champion's favour, "El Chino" asserted some valuable pressure early on.

ESPN's Skip Bayless agreed the first two rounds were not only within Maidana's grasp but perhaps in his favour, as "El Chino" pushed his foe to the ropes and stood against any adversity:

With momentum in his favour and Mayweather showing signs of weakness, it wasn't long before the challenger stepped things up a notch for a more intense tempo.

This came to a head in the fourth round, at which point Maidana's shot count sky-rocketed, per Showtime Stats, albeit with an accuracy still paling in comparison to that of his opponent:

The flurry in speed came at a cost, though. As Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated can attest, Maidana perhaps grew overconfident as things swung in his favour, and it was here that Mayweather's efficiency really began to play its part in the bout:

Before long, Money had a firmer grip on matters, and time passed by in fairly rudimentary fashion as the champion racked up the next couple of rounds, establishing a clearer and clearer divide all the while.

The fight's most controversial moment came during the eighth round, where Mayweather shirked his opponent's grasp in accusation of a bite on his left hand. The BBC's Juan Arango wasn't sympathetic toward the protests:

Opinion was divided on the matter, however, and while Bayless and Boxing Insider questioned the validity of Mayweather's response, David Mayo of MLive.com asserted the bite was genuine:

The stall in match momentum appeared to take its toll on the fight. For the remaining four rounds, Maidana was restricted to just the odd blow here and there, Mayweather finding it relatively easy to out-dance his opponent.

That tactic built to a crescendo in the 12th. With Chino needing the knockout to save his match, boos rang around the MGM Grand in apparent disgust with Money's evasive strategy:

Once again, it was intellect that paved the way to victory for Mayweather. While Round By Round Boxing depict the effectiveness of the champion's ploy, ESPN Stats & Info showed there were positives to be taken away for Maidana:

In fact, the Argentinian was so confident in his performance he believed the victory should have been his, citing Mayweather's roundabout manoeuvres as the reasoning:

It's somewhat unfortunate that an incident as controversial as the alleged bite should play its role in the fixture, glaring over what had the makings to be a top-class meeting.

Mayo quotes referee Kenny Bayless in saying there may have been some proof to Mayweather's claims after the fight, however:

With his 47th successive win in tow, Mayweather walks away $32 million richer than he was upon entering the MGM Grand on Saturday with his pristine career record still intact.

The first meeting may have been debated, but this rematch left no room for controversy in who deserves to be termed the better fighter. Mayweather used old tricks but elevated himself to new heights.