Floyd Mayweather's win over Marcos Maidana at MGM Grand

LAS VEGAS (AP) — It might have been the toughest $32 million Floyd Mayweather Jr. ever made.Marcos Maidana did everything Saturday night but beat Mayweather, taking him 12 tough rounds before losing a majority decision. Mayweather remained unbeaten, but not by much. Maidana swarmed all over him from the opening bell and gave him perhaps his toughest fight in a 16-year professional career.Cut over his eye and temporarily blinded by a head butt in the fourth round, Mayweather had to rally in the last half of the fight to avoid losing for the first time since he was beaten on a controversial decision in the 1996 Olympics. In the end, though, Mayweather got the win — just as he did in his previous 45 fights in a decision that was met with disbelief by Maidana and booed heavily by the crowd. He retained his welterweight title by winning 117-111 on one scorecard and 116-112 on another. A third judge had it even at 114-114.Mayweather threw half as many punches as Maidana, but still managed to land more blows. Yet the 221 punches Maidana landed were the most times Mayweather has been hit, according to data compiled by Showtime Stats on 38 of Mayweather’s previous fights. Maidana thought he was robbed. ”I definitely think I won this fight,” said Maidana. “Floyd did not fight like the man I expected him to. He made me change the gloves. I had bigger gloves and everything and I still gave him a fight.”Mayweather flipped the fight in his favor the next six, though, which was enough for comfortable margins on two of the judges' scorecards.Maidana came charging out of the blocks and an early onslaught had Mayweather backing up in the opening round, while another furious flurry in the third once again gave the outsider the upper hand. Mayweather appeared stunned by his opponent's start and although the American suffered a rare cut in the fourth round – seemingly via an unintentional headbutt - he gradually found his range. Maidana kept coming forward but his wild swings did not land with the regularity they had earlier in the fight and Mayweather began to pick him off. The resurgent Mayweather backed his opponent up with strong shots on a couple of occasions but neither fighter came close to forcing a stoppage.