Pacquiao vs. Bradley Predictions: Why Pacquiao Will End Fight with Knockout

Manny Pacquiao hasn't knocked out an opponent since 2009. That will change against Timothy Bradley.

There are a lot of reasons why Pacquiao could seriously use a knockout in this fight. For one, his most recent fight against Miguel Cotto made him look vulnerable.

For another, a convincing finish to this fight would be a natural selling point in the never-ending negotiations between his and Floyd Mayweather's camps for the oft-desired-but-never-delivered super fight.

So that's why he could seriously use the knockout. But why will he get it?

For one, if Bradley follows Juan Manuel Marquez's style against PacMan in his last fight, he'll try to absorb damage in close so he can counter-punch on his own. In other words, he won't back down, back away or run from the damage.

Marquez had the chops to pull it off, but does Bradley? Manny is a one-punch finisher; if he lands a perfect blow, can Bradley survive it?

I don't think so.

If that strategy doesn't pan out or Bradley finds himself catching one too many punches to the chin, he may abandon the strategy and simply try to turn the fight into a punch-trading brawl.

I think that's the more likely outcome than Bradley becoming overly cautious—he doesn't have nearly as much to lose in this fight, and going down with fists blazing is a better outcome for Bradley than getting too cute and keeping his distance.

That makes Bradley a dangerous boxer in this bout, but it also makes him more prone to getting floored.

And it's not as though Pacquiao is going to get too cute himself and simply try to out-box Bradley. He'll remain on the offensive for much of the fight, looking to attack and force the issue.

Bradley will do whatever he can to make PacMan adjust his attack, but if he fails to do so—or fails to make Pacquiao seriously pay for sticking with an attack that isn't working—he'll lose this fight, and he knows it.

He has to take chances. He has to do a few unorthodox things. He needs to leave it all out on the ring.

That, combined with the incentive Pacquiao has to knock out Bradley, makes this fight a prime candidate for a knockout.

And if there is a KO, it will be Bradley hitting the canvass.

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