LAS VEGAS -- Despite losing a convincing decision to Manny Pacquiao Saturday night, Timothy Bradley Jr. added a most knowledgeable boxing observer to his fan club: Floyd Mayweather.

The former five-division world champion, who retired undefeated after a victory over Andre Berto last September, praised Bradley's effort against Pacquiao in a brief conversation outside the MGM Grand Garden media center shortly after the fight.

According to a source familiar with the conversation, Mayweather called Bradley's camp and asked that they delay a routine postfight hospital trip long enough so he could pay Bradley a visit.

And according to a person privy to the conversation, Mayweather told Bradley he thought the fight was much closer than the official scorecards -- all three judges had Pacquiao winning 116-110. In fact, Mayweather told Bradley his own scorecard had the fight a draw.

"Go home and watch the replay with the sound off,'' Mayweather is said to have told Bradley, indicating he believed the raucously pro-Pacquiao crowd had influenced the judges.

Mayweather said he thought Bradley was winning the what turned out to be a pivotal seventh round until he was ruled the victim of a knockdown when his gloves touched the canvas after a half-punch, half-push by Pacquiao's left. Instead of possibly winning a 10-9 round, Bradley lost the round 10-8 on all cards and never seemed to recover his momentum after that crucial three-point swing.

Mayweather, who outpointed Pacquiao in the most lucrative prizefight in history last May, told Bradley he appeared to be a much improved fighter and encouraged him to continue his career.

"There was no theatrics, he spoke very quietly and seriously to Timmy,'' a source told ESPN.com. "He was very complimentary and very classy.''