Manny Pacquiao beats Keith Thurman by split decision

LAS VEGAS — From his first-round knockdown punches to his tenacious 12th-round finish, Manny Pacquiao gave yet another one-sided thrashing to Father Time.

Keith Thurman was a whole lot tougher to beat, but the 40-year-old Filipino senator managed to win that vote as well.

Pacquiao floored Thurman early and persevered late to an exciting split-decision victory Saturday night, adding a third straight win to his late-career resurgence.

Pacquiao (62-7-2) dropped his previously unbeaten opponent with a combination late in the first round, and the Pac-Man dominated the opening rounds with a combination of flair and power that recalled the incredible prime of the only eight-division champion in boxing history.

Thurman (29-1) showed remarkable tenacity in rallying through the middle rounds, repeatedly testing Pacquiao's chin with big shots. Neither fighter managed another knockdown, but they pushed relentlessly in front of a sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Garden that repeatedly chanted Pacquiao's name from the moment he reached the ring.

"It was fun," Pacquiao said. "My opponent is a good fighter and boxer. He was strong. ... I think he did his best, and I did my best. I think we made the fans happy tonight because it was a good fight."

Two judges scored the bout 115-112 for Pacquiao, while Glenn Feldman scored it 114-113 for Thurman. The Associated Press also scored it 115-112 for Pacquiao.

"I knew it was close," Thurman said. "He had the momentum because he got the knockdown in Round 1. ... I wish I had a little bit more output to go toe to toe. My conditioning, my output was just behind Manny Pacquiao's tonight. Tonight was a blessing and a lesson."