Miguel Cotto

(Props: MMA Hits. Fight starts at the 9:06 mark.)

By now, you probably know that Manny Pacquiao dominated Miguel Cotto on Saturday night en route to a 12th-round TKO victory, becoming the first boxer to win world titles in seven different weight classes, and solidifying his position as best pound-for-pound pugilist on the planet. Cotto was as game as advertised, and kept the contest competitive early on. But the knockdowns that Pacquiao scored in the third round (right hook) and fourth round (left uppercut) turned the tide of the fight for good, and Cotto spent most of the remainder of the match playing defense.

Cotto's camp nearly threw in the towel after a demoralizing 11th frame, but the fight was allowed to continue to the last round, in which referee Kenny Bayless seized on the first opportunity to stop the fight; the official time was 0:55 of round 12. Immediately after the fight, the MGM Grand Garden Arena began to chant "We want Floyd!" Ah, but does Money Mayweather want Manny? The video is above; watch and be inspired.

(24/7 Pacquiao-Cotto, Episode 1. Props to HBO.)

Being obsessed with MMA doesn't mean we can't mark out for Manny Pacquiao once in a while. It's hard not to love the guy. He's a brilliant fighter who's somehow managed to stay humble, he has a lovely singing voice, and he's never publicly referred to our favorite sport as panty-wrestling porno for beer-drinkers. It's almost too bad that we'll be dutifully liveblogging UFC 105 tomorrow (Spike TV, 8 p.m. ET/PT), because we're curious to see how Pac-Man does against WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto in their 145-pound contest at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The Pacquiao/Cotto broadcast starts at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. on HBO PPV, so hopefully you live near a kickass sports bar that will be showing both fight cards at the same time. Check out the first installment of HBO's 24/7: Pacquiao-Cotto above; Pacquiao fans, show some love in the comments section below.

Of all the factors that could have contributed to EliteXC's sharp decline in network ratings, one we haven't touched on is the fact that a minor classic in the world of boxing was happening the same night. On Saturday, Antonio Margarito ripped the WBA welterweight (147 pounds) title from the grip of the undefeated Miguel Cotto, in a back-and-forth war that ended with an 11th-round TKO victory for the Mexican fighter. If you have the time/interest, check out the video above. If you only have a little bit of time and interest, skip to the 44:54 mark, where Margarito weathers a fist-storm in the beginning of the tenth frame before turning the tide for good.

(Props: MMA Scraps)