Floyd Mayweather Jr. leaped on top of the ropes, began gyrating his hips and waved his arms.
Hundreds of Argentines were chanting and singing in support of Marcos Maidana at the conclusion of Saturday night?s fight card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, but Mayweather was the one dancing.
Boxing?s pound-for-pound titan persevered through what was possibly the toughest fight of his career to beat Maidana by majority decision (117-111, 116-112, 114-114).
?It was a tough, competitive fight,? Mayweather said. ?I know I would have really liked to go out there and box him, but he put pressure on me and that?s when I decided I was going to commit to fight differently. I wanted to give the fans what they wanted to see, so I stood there and fought him.?
Maidana proved a much tougher challenge than the 10-to-1 betting line indicated. He attacked Mayweather from the opening bell, pressing the undefeated fighter into the ropes and pummeling him with punches in the first round.
It took Mayweather some time to adjust, especially after he suffered a cut at the end of the fourth round that he claimed was from a Maidana headbutt. Maidana said it was from a punch and openly protested the decision.
?I definitely think I won this fight,? Maidana said. ?Floyd didn?t fight like a man like I expected him to. He dominated a few rounds, but a majority of them I dominated.?
Mayweather didn?t get drawn into a war of words immediately after the fight even after Maidana upped his vitriol. He was too busy celebrating.
?He?s a tough fighter and I don?t take anything away from him, but I couldn?t see anything for two rounds after the headbutt,? Mayweather said. ?But I adjusted and that?s what champs do. They adjust to everything and do everything they can.?
As Maidana?s contingent booed the decision, Mayweather stated he was open to an immediate rematch. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said the same.
One person who definitely wouldn?t join in on that talk is the co-main event winner. Amir Khan, perceived to be the next in line for Mayweather, beat Luis Collazo by a dominating unanimous decision (119-104, 119-104, 117-106) in a fight that was supposed to be competitive.
Adrien Broner and J?Leon Love also scored unanimous-decision wins in pay-per-view bouts, over Carlos Molina and Marco Periban respectively.
Both Mayweather acolytes, they certainly reveled in the result of the main event without letting Maidana?s dissent get in the way.
?I?m the one that has to give the rematch because I won the fight,? Maidana said. ?Yes, I?ll give him a rematch. I?m not scared of him.?
