No punishment expected for Marcos Maidana after Floyd Mayweather biting incident
LAS VEGAS – Marcos Maidana is likely to escape punishment for his alleged bite on Floyd Mayweather during Saturday's welterweight title bout at the MGM Grand.
Mayweather claimed that Maidana, of Argentina, had bitten three fingers on his left hand during a clinched exchange during the eighth round en route to a comfortable unanimous decision victory for the American.
"We clinched, we came together," Mayweather said. "My hand went under him and he bit my three fingers."
After Mayweather recoiled and screamed out in pain, video replays indeed appeared to show Maidana had chomped down on his hand. However, with Mayweather not expected to make a formal complaint, it is unlikely Maidana will face any kind of sanction from the Nevada Athletic Commission or boxing authorities.
The incident was merely a mild roadblock as Mayweather cruised to a resounding win, albeit one that lacked the thrills and spills of the pair's first fight in May.
However, the 37-year-old champion insisted the bite had affected his ability to throw punches in the closing round of the contest. Indeed, Mayweather landed just one punch in the 12th and final round.
"My fingers went numb and my middle finger busted open through the glove," Mayweather said. "When he first bit me, he acted like he didn't do it. Then he came back and said I put my hand in his mouth. I think he needs to move over to MMA. I couldn't feel my hand the rest of the fight."
Maidana is a game competitor who gave his all in May and again on Saturday over 24 rounds against a superior opponent. However, such behavior is not becoming of him, and has no place in the sport.
His excuse, that Mayweather's glove had accidentally drifted into his mouth, was lame and did him no credit at all. Despite the video footage, he continued to deny the bite long after the bout was over.
"I am not a dog," Maidana said. "There was no bite. I did not bite him. He was putting his glove in my eye when I was under him, I know that happened."
Biting was once boxing's preserve; indeed, both Mike Tyson and the man whose ear he chewed, Evander Holyfield, were in attendance at the MGM Grand. Nowadays, it has come to prominence more in soccer, thanks to three separate biting incidents featuring highly divisive Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez.
Much like Maidana's explanation, Suarez tried to mitigate his bite on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup by saying his mouth had fallen onto his rival's shoulder.
Neither had any credibility.
