Pacquiao vs. Marquez: What Marquez Must Do to Pull Off Massive Upset

WBO Welterweight Champion Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao is set to face Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time on Nov. 12 in what could be a precursor to a dream bout against Floyd Mayweather. Marquez most certainly has other plans, however.

The two previous fights between Pacquiao and Marquez resulted in a draw and a controversial split-decision victory for Pacquiao. Pacquiao will be looking to prove once and for all that he can decisively beat Marquez and is prepping for a bigger pay day in the future.

While Pacquiao is the overwhelming favorite, and the smart money is on him, Marquez won't be a pushover. He has proven twice before that he is capable of standing toe-to-toe with Pacquiao, who is billed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing.

Because of that, you simply can't completely write off Marquez's chances, however slim they may seem. Here are three things Marquez absolutely must do if he wants to play spoiler to a potential Pacquiao versus Mayweather super fight.

Stay on the Defensive

Perhaps no boxer in any weight class possesses quicker hands and more explosive punching power than Manny Pacquiao. With that said, Pacquiao has the rare ability to stop any fight with a single punch. Marquez is fully aware of that and must be careful in his approach. While you want to see Marquez try to win the fight, there is danger in being overagressive.

As the old adage goes, sometimes the best offense is a good defense. That will have to be the case for "Dinamita" against Pacquiao next weekend. If Marquez can largely avoid Pac-Man's power punches, it will work in his favor in that Pacquiao might get a bit frustrated. Anything Marquez can do to get Pacquiao off his game should be considered a plus in his favor.

Avoid Knockdowns at All Costs

This may seem like it should go without saying, but Marquez must avoid being knocked down by Pacquiao at any juncture in their match. A knockdown essentially results in an automatic point to the opposition, and keeping in mind how closely the previous bouts in the series were scored, even a single point can make a world of difference.

The biggest reason why Pacquiao was given the nod in Pacquiao versus Marquez No. 2 was that he scored an early knockdown. Marquez bounced back, and many believe that he was the better fighter for much of the contest, but the knockdown clearly resonated with the judges. Marquez needs to remain mistake free, and getting knocked down would be a huge blunder.

Go the Distance

Manny Pacquiao hasn't been knocked out since 1999, and it would seem to be highly unlikely that it would happen again any time soon. Juan Manuel Marquez has deceptively good punching power, but if he actively seeks a knockout against Pac-Man, he will be wasting his time and putting himself in harm's way of one of Pacquiao's electric counter-punch knockouts.

With that said, Marquez's best odds of an upset come in the form of going 12 rounds and letting the scorecards decide it. The judges certainly weren't good to him the first two times he faced Pacquiao, but no fighter has had more success against Pac-Man than Marquez. He needs to nickel and dime Pacquiao throughout the fight, just as he did in their previous meetings. While this could quite possibly result in another decision loss, it seems like the only logical avenue for Marquez at this point.