Pacquiao vs. Bradley: Why Bradley's Fighting Style Spells Doom for Pac-Man

Manny Pacquaio is one of the most recognizable names in boxing right now, but that doesn't mean he cannot be beaten.

Yes, Pacquaio has been dominating his competition since his last defeat in 2005 at the hands of Erik Morales. But his next opponent, Timothy Bradley, has a menacing fighting style that will prove deadly for Pac-Man.

Bradley is an aggressive southpaw who has a proven knack for "turning fights into wars," as Pacquaio told Yahoo! Sports. Don't mistake that quote for Pac-Man not believing Bradley to be a fine boxer, though. "Desert Storm" may have an unorthodox style, but he can move around the ring and take punches like the best of them.

Furthermore, the fact that Bradley is a southpaw, paired with his unorthodox style, could lead to some incidental headbutts between the two—something Pac-Man pointed out in the same Yahoo! Sports interview.

In addition to his skills inside the boxing ring, Bradley has told anyone who will listen about how confident he is that he will defeat his opponent. Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank Inc. (who has Bradley under contract), recently told Ring TV his thoughts on his client's confidence level heading into the big fight:

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Tim Bradley is so confident that it's scary. I mean, he is absolutely 100 percent convinced that he's winning the fight. We want a guy to go in with a lot of confidence, and so far, from what I've seen, this will be the greatest possible fight.

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Sometimes in sports, critics believe that having too much confidence can lead to an athlete or team's downfall. In boxing, though, I think fighters need to be what some might see as overconfident heading into the biggest fights in their career.

Confidence is key for boxers. When the rounds continue to go by and the early flow of adrenaline fades away, boxers like Bradley, who go in as the underdog, need to be able to tell themselves it is a battle they can win.

So far, the undefeated WBO Light Welterweight Champion is proving he has the utmost confidence in his abilities. Pacquaio's upcoming opponent recently talked with SB Nation about the opportunity to fight Pac-Man:

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I am now in a place where I will be able to accomplish another one of my goals in life and that is to fight the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. This is a huge challenge for me personally and professionally. It feels great to get the fight with Manny Pacquiao. It's going to feel even better when I beat him

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Bradley has the confidence, he has the unorthodox approach that will prove bothersome for Pacquaio and he has an unblemished fighting record to prove he's more than capable of giving Pac-Man his first defeat in 15 fights.