Manny Pacquiao Conquerer Erik Morales Will Upset Marcos Maidana This Evening

“El Chino” Marcos Maidana will defend his interim WBA world light welterweight title against former five-time WBC and WBO super bantamweight king “El Terrible” Erik Morales later tonight at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Morales (51-6, 35 KOs) has won three consecutive bouts since he decided to retire following his unanimous decision loss to David Diaz in August 2007.

"After that David Diaz fight, I felt very, very bad—mentally, physically," Morales was quoted as saying to sports.espn.go.com. "I was very devastated. That loss was very hard for me. I wanted to blame people. I felt that someone caused me to lose. I just felt very, very bad. Right there and then after that fight I wanted to come back, but I just didn't have the reason to. I didn't know how to come back. I wasn't sure how to go about it. I was very unhappy with myself."

Conversely, Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs) lost a rugged unanimous decision to upcoming superstar Amir Khan in December.

Maidana, a hard-hitting orthodox fighter from Argentina, said he has not been impressed with Morales during his comeback.

"What I saw in those three fights was that he is a fighter that's not in his prime anymore," said Maidana, 27. "I'm in my prime. I think that's going to be the difference. I'm going to win this fight. I'm going to come out throwing punches, guns blazing. If he can withstand it, great. If he can't, then good night. I don't underestimate anybody and I think Morales is capable of giving a good fight. It's my job to win the fight and I'm going to do what I always do."

Morales, 34, who ESPN ranked as the 49^th pugilist on their list of the 50 Greatest Boxers of All Time, was the last man to defeat Manny Pacquiao in April 2005.

“El Terrible” is certain he can overcome Maidana and can’t wait to prove it this evening.

"I didn't make a mistake picking Maidana," said Morales, a Mexican icon. "I am going to prove it to you guys on Saturday night. I am going to prove that I wasn't crazy. It is going to be a great night. After I win, it will be a big party and a special night for all my supporters."

Maidana is a tough and powerful prizefighter and he is not one to be trifled with inside the squared circle.

Nevertheless, even in his twilight, Morales is still a great that can manage to find a way to emerge victorious over “El Chino.”

In a dramatic upset, expect Erik Morales to conquer Marcos Maidana by unanimous decision in approximately five hours.