Timothy Bradley, who has already defeated Manny Pacquiao once, is keen to get the better of the 'Pac-Man' once again, in what will be the Filipino great's farewell fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Bradley and Pacquiao enjoy a 1-1 head-to-head record, with the latter having emerged victorious in their last meeting in April 2014. Both boxers are aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses, which ensures this fight will be a closely-fought one.
Talking about his loss against Pacquiao, Bradley stated that he was not calm during the fight, and had a "completely different mindset." The American boxer believes he has improved and become a much smarter fighter.
"The last [Pacquiao] fight, I had a completely different mindset," Los Angeles Times quoted Bradley as saying.
"I went out there to be something I wasn't, instead of being true to myself. Now, I'm back to being the calm, smart, very experienced fighter who's been in the ring with him for 24 rounds."
Bradley has undergone some changes in his fighting style with the introduction of Teddy Atlas as his new trainer.
"I've made some changes, and now I understand my identity as a fighter -- what I'm supposed to be. Teddy made me realise that. I'm calmer this time around," Bradley said.
Atlas is said to have inspired Bradley to come up with a dominant display in his last fight against Brandon Rios -- which is said to be one of Bradley's best performance in his career -- where he emerged victorious after a ninth-round knockout.
The American pugilist needs to come up with another dominant performance if he has to defeat Pacquiao, who will be determined to sign off on a high. The Filipino suffered a loss in his last bout -- the Fight of the Century -- against Floyd Mayweather, who put up a defensive masterclass.
One should not be surprised if Bradley also comes up with a similar ploy as Mayweather, who, wisely, moved around the ring, and hit some crucial punches, while Pacquiao was going for his aggressive shots.
However, going for the same strategy he adopted against Rios, where he opted for body shots, might not be a great idea for Bradley. Such a ploy will open up the chance for the Filipino to throw a strong punch, owing to his quickness.
With Atlas in his corner, Bradley is expected to come with his homework well done to script a second victory over Pacquiao, while the Filipino will be keen to hand the American only his second career loss.
