The undisputed pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. returns to action Saturday in a welterweight title unification bout with dangerous Argentine puncher Marcos Maidana.
The fight takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and offers a distinct clash of styles.
On one side, there’s the speed, experience and technical superiority of Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs), who will square off with the aggression and power of Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs).
What does Mayweather need to consider to get the win? Read our five keys:
Angle and movementThis time around, Mayweather will have to do what he always does, but more effectively. Staying active at all times to avoid the powerful shots of the Argentine will be a priority. Mayweather will also need to throw punches from all angles, taking advantage of the robotic and slow style Maidana has, which leaves him open for counter shots.
Control the distanceMayweather must respect Maidana’s power. He is facing a knockout specialist who is relentless when he closes the distance. Therefore, Floyd needs to avoid letting Maidana set his jab. If the Argentine fighter succeeds, what lies behind the straight left is a nightmare of a right hand. Mayweather should set the pace of the fight without giving away any distance to his opponent.
Watch the shoulders!In his upset of Adrien Broner in December, Maidana employed a recipe that undermined the shoulder roll defense used by both Broner and Mayweather. While Broner is certainly not the same fighter as his “Big Bro,” Maidana was able to exploit his defense by landing punches from awkward angles. Mayweather needs to avoid lingering too long against the ropes each time he avoids Maidana’s advances with his shoulders or he may be in line to receive the same punishment as his pupil.
Wait and seeAgainst Maidana, we can expect the fight to play out for Mayweather like his 2007 matchup with Ricky Hatton. Maidana, just like the English pugilist, will look to apply relentless pressure during the early rounds. But Maidana may be subject to running out of gas after the first half of the fight. In this scenario, Mayweather must turn to the counterattack to set up a late knockout as he did against Hatton.
No distractionsMaidana defeated Broner by surprising him with his unpredictable style. The Argentine is known for throwing heavy punches that are difficult to prepare for. Mayweather needs to stay focused for the entire fight without letting his guard down at any point. If he doesn’t, he could be faced with absorbing a hammer-style overhand right that Maidana executes so well over his opponent’s guard.
