The last fight was hard to call because Maidana was always busy. It appeared to be closer than it was because Mayweather took more abuse than usual. Through it all he still landed more clean punches than Maidana. If this fight picks up where the first one left off then we're in for a battle. Mayweather saw something in Maidana that he feels like he can exploit this time around. I have a feeling it's Maidana's long looping punches. Maidana knows he pressured Floyd and made him uncomfortable. He also knows if he can turn it up a notch or two Mayweather won't be able to handle it.
If either fighter had more to give than they did last time, I'd say that's Mayweather. With that being said I thought Mayweather would make adjustments the first time around, but he was unable to or just never did. Everyone thinks Mayweather figured Maidana out and that he'll beat him more easily. What was there to figure out? Maidana came at him with relentless aggression. He's faced fighters like Maidana before, so why was it different with Chino? Mayweather doesn't have to prove he can take shots. He's said many times before that it's about hitting and not getting hit. It's hard for me to believe that he intentionally let one of the hardest punchers pound on him.
Maidana appeared to fight his fight, but with a much higher punch output. I don't really think there is much he can do differently this time around. He is a hard hitting brawler. Maybe he worked on his stamina and his hand speed. His punches were wild at times and he needs to be more accurate this time around. Floyd could beat him the same way he did before. Floyd has faster hands and he could counter Maidana all night long. He's a well conditioned fighter and easily goes twelve rounds. I think Floyd will have better footwork this time. He doesn't have to take the punishment he did in the first fight. With better ring movement he could keep Maidana right where he wants him. Floyd knows he going to come at him aggressively, and he knows that will give him enough countering opportunities to win the fight. If he keeps Maidana outside, and uses good angles to outbox him, he won't lose.
Mayweather said he isn't going to make any adjustments. I think he's lying, but if he fights Maidana the same way he did before he could lose. Maidana said Mayweather didn't punch hard. Maidana is going to come after Mayweather with relentless aggression. It will not be a good idea to sit back and try to pick him off. That was the fight he fought before. I don't think Floyd will fight him that way again. His footwork is too good, but lately he hasn't taken on guys who made him use it. Floyd knew after the first fight was over that he should have moved more. He should have moved Maidana where he wanted him. Mayweather took more abuse than he had to.
Maidana wants Floyd to fight the same fight. That isn't going to be the fight that Floyd fights. He will move and try to open him up. Maidana throws the long looping power shots, and Floyd saw that he could get inside of them. I don't think he saw during the fight, but I know he watched the fight again regardless of what he says, and he knows he should have had better movement and angles. Maybe the ring movement isn't what it once was. Muhammad Ali didn't move around so much in the second half of his career, and he won entertaining fights. I think Floyd still has the footwork to move Maidana around. I think he'll need to if he expects to win.
Prediction
I can either assume that Floyd is going to fight Maidana the way he did before, or move a little more and not take the abuse he did in the first fight. He couldn't possibly enjoy being hit that much, so I expect him to move around and set up clean hard punches. Mayweather wants to knock him out. I don't think he can, but he's proved that he can outpoint him while taking punishment. Mayweather might go defensive early, but when Maidana runs out of steam Mayweather will open up on him. He might fight him exactly the way he did before. I don't guess it really matters, because Maidana will have to knock him out to win.
Mayweather by unanimous decision.
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