Floyd Mayweather goes 49-0, beats Andre Berto in final fight — PHOTOS

Perfect. From beginning to end.

If this was indeed Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s final fight, he did it on his terms, his way, in totally dominating an overmatched Andre Berto on Saturday night before 13,395 fans at the MGM Grand Garden.

He didn’t get a knockout, settling instead for a 12-round unanimous decision that improved his record to 49-0 and pulled him even with heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano for the best record in boxing history.

Judge Adalaide Byrd gave Mayweather all 12 rounds, 120-108. Steve Weisfeld had Mayweather winning 118-110, and Dave Moretti scored it 117-111. With the win, Mayweather retained his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight titles.

"You got to know when to hang it up," said Mayweather, 38. "I’m close to 40 years old. I’ve been in this sport for 19 years. I have nothing left to prove."

Mayweather, who began his career in 1996 with a knockout win at Texas Station, made $32 million for his swan song Saturday and came into the ring a minus-1,800 favorite after opening as high as 50-1 when the fight was announced in July. He treated it just as he said he would — just another fight.

He used his smarts and skills to totally frustrate Berto, who wound up a plus-600 underdog and made $4 million Saturday. The only thing that was a negative for Mayweather was he claimed to have hurt his left hand in the ninth round and told his father and trainer, Floyd Sr., before coming out for the 10th round.

But it didn’t seem to impact his performance. He cracked Berto with a big uppercut with that left hand, and it was evident he wasn’t in danger of losing.

"It doesn’t matter if I hurt my left or my right hand," Mayweather said. "My career is over."

Berto (30-4) tried to make a fight of it. He actually threw more punches, 495-410. But Mayweather was the more accurate puncher, and there wasn’t much Berto could do about it.

"Experience played a big part," Berto said. "He has a lot of speed, and he’s real crafty. He did a lot of little things to get me off my rhythm."

There was trash talk during the fight, and in the 10th round, referee Kenny Bayless had to stop the bout momentarily to tell the fighters to knock it off.

"I have a lot of pride, and he has a lot of pride as well," Berto said. "So we were talking. I tried to put on a great performance and push him to the limit. But he is where he is for a reason. Floyd’s one of the best, for sure."

In many ways, this was a typical Mayweather fight. He used his jab to frustrate his opponent. He never let Berto get too many clean shots at him. He wisely tied Berto up when things got a bit hairy. And when he saw an opening, he used his superior speed to unleash quick bursts of combinations to put Berto on his heels.

As Mayweather piled up points, there was little Berto could do. He tried to hurt Mayweather and get him off his game. But like so many before him, Berto came up well short of the objective.

Mayweather looked to finish strong, and he did. He won the final three rounds with all three judges, and as the seconds ticked away in the final round of his career, Mayweather held his hands aloft, danced around the ring, the crowd standing and cheering, some perhaps grudgingly, as they acknowledged the end of an era in boxing.

That’s if he keeps his word.

Mayweather sounded content with his legacy and what his future holds. He’s prepared to leave boxing and do so on his terms.

"I’m leaving the sport with all my faculties, still sharp, still smart," he said.

As for breaking Marciano’s record next year and going to 50-0, Mayweather said that’s not going to happen. At least not by him.

"Records are made to be broken," he said. "Someday we’ll find another Floyd Mayweather and break the record. But I’ve done everything I want to do in boxing. I’m leaving the way I want to."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Chris Kudialis live-blogged the fight below. Contact him at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-622-8847. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj