Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Manny's 5 Best Quotes Leading Up to the Fight

Manny Pacquiao might not be a top candidate for fighter of the year in 2011, but that can all change when he takes on Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time on Nov. 12.

In what should be the last meeting between the two rivals, Pacquiao will look to get his first decisive win over the former Mexican lightweight champion, which will rank among his best victories if he is to do so.

In a 16-year career, the Filipino superstar has fought everywhere from 105 pounds to 145 pounds, and it's been almost nothing but victories. His current 14-fight win streak stretches more than six years, and that includes avenging his only loss in over a decade to Erik Morales.

What does Pacquiao expect to see come fight night? Is this the most important fight of his career? Will he look for the knockout?

These questions, and more, are answered by the man himself, and these are his five best quotes leading up to this weekend's fight, which goes down on HBO pay-per-view.

“I Know It’s Going to Be Tough for Me.”

“I Know It’s Going to Be Tough for Me.” - From HBO's 24/7

Neither boxer expects this to be an easy fight, but it's Pacquiao who is coming into the bout with something to prove.

Marquez is expected to lose by many, and his 6-to-1 underdog status is certainly an indication of what people are expecting from the 38-year-old lightweight champion.

It might be a lose-lose situation if Pacquiao walks away with another close decision, but a knockout would be really impressive.

That's going to be tough to do considering Marquez has never been knocked out in his entire 18-year career.

“This Is the Most Important Fight in My Boxing Career.”

“This Is the Most Important Fight in My Boxing Career.” - From Media Interview

Pacquiao has made a name for himself fighting and putting on some of the more thrilling performances of any current boxer, and it has all been done at the highest levels of the sport.

His wins include those over Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.

Still, Pacquiao considers his upcoming bout his most important, and a win over Marquez would mean winning three fights at once, when looking at how controversial the first two were.

"This Third Fight Will Be the Answer of All the Doubts.”

"This Third Fight Will Be the Answer of All the Doubts.” - From MaxBoxing.com

There is no doubt that Pacquiao is the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the sport, but his last two fights versus Marquez still left many questions left unanswered.

The first fight ended in a draw after Pacquiao knocked down Marquez three times in the first round, but was out-boxed for the majority of the bout. After 12 rounds, both boxers could have made the claim that they had won.

The 2008 rematch saw Marquez getting dropped again in the third round, and it would be the single-point difference that led to Pacquiao winning by split-decision after 12 rounds.

The third and final bout will answer all the questions, or at least Pacman hopes so.

“There Is No Difference in Him.”

“There Is No Difference in Him.” - From media interview

Going into this fight, it's Pacquiao who has made the changes over the past four years, and it's Marquez who has remained much of the same fighter that he has always been.

Maybe this version of Pacquiao will be enough to get the defining victory over his Mexican rival, but it might also be a better matchup for Marquez.

Only time will tell who has made the proper changes, and if they even had to be made.

“It’s Going to Be Fight of the Year.”

“It’s Going to Be Fight of the Year.” - From open workout interview.

Their first two fights were candidates for fight of the year in 2004 and 2008. Is there any reason to think this one should be any different?

Given their fighting styles and combination of heart and determination to win, this fight could be the best of the three.

At this point, both boxers' legacies grow day-by-day, and it's something they will fight that much harder to retain.