Jonnie Rice found a new way to conquer an old foe.

The resurgent heavyweight gatekeeper earned a repeat win over Michael Polite Coffie, taking a ten-round, unanimous decision victory in their rematch Saturday evening on Fox Sports Pay-Per-View from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Judges Manuel Marquez (97-93), Toby Tamarkin (97-93) and Peter Zamoyski (99-91) all scored in favor of Rice, who resurrects his career following two defeats preceding his career-defining victories over Coffie.

The most anticipated heavyweight of the undercard lacked the drama from the first fight and took several rounds to get untracked. A big part of that was both fighters coming in significantly heavier than was the case five months ago. Coffie weighed 278.4 pounds, seven more than was the case in his stunningly one-sided fifth round stoppage at the hands of Rice, who was a career heaviest 283.8 pounds for Saturday’s affair.

Round one featured minimal contact in both directions, neither heavyweight landing anything of substance. Coffie picked up the pace in round two, even sending Rice to the canvas in the closing seconds. Referee Christopher Young ruled it a slip, claiming that Rice fell to the canvas due to a pushing left more so than from a clean punch.

Action heated up in round four. Rice briefly stunned Coffie with a jab and right hand upstairs, forcing the eight-year U.S. Marine to the ropes. Coffie rode out the storm, responding with a right hand of his own and bringing the fight to center ring where both heavyweights had their say in the best round of the fight to that point.

The momentum didn’t last, as Coffie and Rice lumbered through a sloppy round five. Both boxers were pushing with their punches, with Rice gasping for air most of the round but Coffie’s low output all but letting him off the hook.

He would nearly pay the price in round six. Rice summoned the strength to land several right hands, setting up the first shot with a jab and following with left hooks and overhand rights. Coffie couldn’t offer anything more than a granite chin, with blood flowing from a cut and his left eye beginning to swell shut.

Rice continued to apply pressure in rounds seven and eight, while Coffie continued to rotate between southpaw and conventional stance. Neither side seemed to work for the 35-year-old heavyweight, who was being significantly outworked by Rice throughout the second half of the fight.

Coffie tried to mount a rally at the start of round nine, rushing Rice immediately after the opening bell. It didn’t evolve into any great last stand, as Rice quickly regained the lead and kept Coffie at the end of his jab. Coffie’s left eye was nearly closed by this point, at a time when Rice was doubling up his opponent’s punch output.

The fight was seemingly well out of reach for Coffie by the tenth and final round. Rice flicked his jab and right hand, while Coffie looked for one right hand to end the fight as blood poured from a cut around his eye. That moment would never come for the proud Marine, who ended the fight on his feet but with his second straight defeat in falling to 12-2 (9KOs).

Rice was able to prove that their July 31 affair was not a fluke, even if lacking the explosiveness and shock value that came from that night. Nevertheless, he positions himself for at least one more big payday as he improves to 15-6-1 (10KOs).

The Fox Sports PPV show is headlined by top-rated contender Luis Ortiz (32-2, 27KOs) and former IBF titlist Charles Martin (28-2-1, 25KOs) in a title eliminator.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox