Floyd Mayweather Jr. plans to make a statement Saturday night by knocking out Marcos Maidana. But Maidana, encouraged by how his fight went the first time against Mayweather, believes he can hand the undefeated champion his first loss.
From accusations he can't read to a lawsuit filed against him from his ex-fiancee to chatter Maidana could actually hand him his first loss - it all appears to be irritating Mayweather, who said he wants to make a statement Saturday night.
"I'm going for the knockout," Mayweather told reporters, via the L.A. Times. "Someone said he had the highest knockout ratio of anyone I've faced. He's a tough, rugged guy. I'm coming to make a statement. To myself."
Mayweather won his fight against Maidana in May by majority decision, but with retirement on the horizon, a knockout would indeed make a big statement to help quiet his critics. Maidana, however, believes he has a much better chance of defeating Mayweather after already facing him once.
"I just know that I have to win. I'm focused on winning," Maidana said through a translator, via ESPN. "I am going to take out any doubts in my mind about the first fight. I've adjusted now and I think I'll be ready. I noticed that being aggressive and attacking him is what makes him uncomfortable.
"I think I did get tired in the first fight. I have to pace myself a little better and this time around I will be better. If the knockout comes, great, but I'm ready to go the distance, as well. I'm ready to make history."
Another boost to Maidana's confidence is this time, unlike the last fight, he's had a full eight weeks to prepare.
"We had about five weeks for the first fight and even though 'Chino' came in already semi in shape, it was still not the same," said Maidana's trainer, Robert Garcia. "This time he came here nine weeks before the fight, since we started training full camp. We had a good eight weeks of training, so I think that it's going to make a big difference."
The fight is on Saturday, with the card beginning at 8 p.m. ET on pay-per-view.
