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Dana White Breaks Down Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 4

This weekend may very well be the best this year has seen in combat sports. With some quality MMA on Friday night that got fans amped up for UFC on Fox 5 in Seattle, it’s one of those rare occasions when there’s possibly too much fighting to …

Following the UFC on Fox 5 card, which features a lightweight title fight between champion Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz, boxing has its own highly anticipated event between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.

It’s the fourth meeting between the two boxers, with Pacquiao holding two wins over the Mexican fighter. Their last bout was a bit controversial, as many pundits felt that Marquez did more than enough to win. Tim Smith of the New York Daily News wrote that Marquez “was robbed of a decision by judges who were either blind or corrupt.”

Following the UFC on Fox 5 pre-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White spoke with attending media about the upcoming bout. White is an avid boxing fan and has publicly supported Pacquiao in the media.

However, from the sound of it, White isn’t too confident about Pacquiao’s chances this evening.

“So you guys know I’m a huge Pacquiao fan,” White told Bleacher Report. “[The HBO series] 24/7 f*cks with your head so bad. If you look at it, it makes it seem like Pacquiao isn’t that focused. You got guys like Freddie Roach saying, ‘I used to be the boss, but I’m not the boss any more. He knows what he needs to do.’

“And then the next episode he says, ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I should be the boss.’ It just seems like there’s so much turmoil and distractions in his camp.”

There’s always distractions within a camp, but White’s comments hold a lot of truth. Pacquiao is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, and it’s very common for the ego to take over.

It is combat sports after all.

But it may not be the actual training camp that’s causing Pacman to take control of his career. There is always a time when a fighter stops thinking about titles and instead focuses on how much money he can earn before exiting from the sport.

“The one thing I gotta be honest about cause I always am,” said White. “The one thing that I didn’t like because I hate this stuff and I’m surprised Pacquiao said this, they were asking him about the belt. You guys see what he said? They were asking him about the belt and he goes, ‘It’s all about the paycheck.’

“And Marquez looks nasty. He’s training hardcore. He’s in great shape.”

So who is the UFC president picking for tonight’s boxing main event? The answer may come as a bit of a surprise to some.

“I gotta go with Marquez.”

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes attained first hand by Bleacher Report

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA vs. Boxing: Which Sport Will Be The People’s Champ This Weekend?

(Dang, Nate, tell us how you really feel.)

By Oliver Chan

On Saturday night, the sport of boxing goes head-to-head with MMA. No, I’m not talking about another freak-show like when the horribly overpaid James Toney fought the latest guy to be called out by Steven Seagal. (“Anybody seen Randyyyyy? Ah?”) I’m talking Pacquiao/Marquez IV vs. Diaz/Henderson. While the events aren’t really going head-to-head, per se — UFC on Fox starts at 8 p.m. ET, and should be finished by the time Manny and Marquez step into the ring on the HBO pay-per-view broadcast — how viewers tune in this Saturday will speak volumes of the current state of both sports.

In one corner, you have the UFC with a stacked card, but still struggling to live up to the hype as far as ratings go. In the other corner, you have boxing, the aging champ of combat sports. While struggling to stay relevant, it is still a dominant force with two bankable stars who won’t fight each other.

It is no mistake that the UFC has put together a PPV-worthy card to be aired free to the masses. You’ve got a title fight in what is arguably the most competitive weight class in the sport. You also have two legends of MMA taking on two young up-and-comers taking on the sport by storm. Come to think of it, the Penn vs. McDonald and Rua vs. Gustafson fights are perfect analogies of what MMA is to boxing right now.

(Dang, Nate, tell us how you really feel.)

By Oliver Chan

UFC on Fox will have a head start on the Saturday prime-time schedule, but Pacquiao vs. Marquez has the advantage of being “appointment viewing.” In other words, fight fans already planning on ordering the PPV bout are more likely to start switching over from the UFC on Fox regardless of whether or not the UFC lightweight championship has been determined. On the flip side, the UFC card has something that Pacquiao/Marquez does not: drama.

Studies show that fight fans, specifically MMA fans, are drawn to the drama aspect over the violence aspect of the sport. Does the UFC on Fox card have drama? You bet your ass it does. You have one title fight in what is arguably the most competitive weight division in MMA and two bouts featuring legends of the sport taking on the rapidly rising young-blood of MMA.

Meanwhile, boxing has scrapped together a meaningless fourth match-up between Marquez and Pacquiao. The fight doesn’t even have any title implications on the line. This fight is coming off of the huge black-eye (pun intended) on the sport of boxing in the form of the controversial Bradley/Pacquiao decision in June. Why Pacquiao’s next fight wasn’t an immediate rematch for the WBO Welterweight Title still escapes me. If it was, Pacquiao/Bradley II would have been a much better draw and stand a much better advantage over the UFC on Fox this Saturday. But alas, the gods of common sense will dictate otherwise.

Nate Diaz and Benson Henderson need to put on a great performance this Saturday. They need to keep viewers engaged and forget about switching over to the PPV event that will overlap the UFC event, when the Pacquiao vs. Marquez supporting card begins at 9 p.m. ET.

Come Monday, it will be interesting to see how the numbers play out. Will the UFC poach some of boxing’s PPV orders? Or will we see a steep decline in TV ratings during the main-event as viewers switch over to see Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV? Will we see a changing of the guard, or will it be business as usual? To me, the biggest story on Saturday does not involve anyone fighting, but which sport will be victorious with TV viewers — the aging legend, boxing, or the rising star of combat sports, MMA?

Manny Paquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez: Watch Their First Three Fights Right Here [VIDEOS]

(Pacquiao vs. Marquez I, 5/8/04. Videos via HBOSports, props to BloodyElbow for the tip.)

In the lead-up to this weekend’s historic fourth meeting between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, HBO Sports was kind enough to upload all three of their previous fights to its YouTube channel. That’s 36 rounds (and two-and-a-half hours) of some of the highest-level boxing that the sport has seen in the last ten years. Though each fight was decided on a razor-thin margin, Marquez has been unable to get his hand raised so far. Will the fourth time be a charm? And can this latest fight match up to the legendary history of the Pacquaio vs. Marquez rivalry?

Fights 2 and 3 are after the jump…

(Pacquiao vs. Marquez I, 5/8/04. Videos via HBOSports, props to BloodyElbow for the tip.)

Fights 2 and 3 are after the jump…

(Pacquiao vs. Marquez II, 3/15/08)

(Pacquiao vs. Marquez III, 11/12/11)

[VIDEO] ’24/7: Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV’ — Full Episode 2 Video

(Via HBOSports)

Recently we brought you episode one of HBO’s “24/7: Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV” documentary series. The third episode premiers Saturday night so it’s a perfect time for you to catch up and see episode two (above) if you haven’t already.

Other than the elusive white whale of a fight between PacMan and Floyd Mayweather Jr, a fourth fight between the Phillipine’s Pacquiao and Mexico’s Marquez is pretty much the only meaningful pound-for-pound match up in boxing right now. In the latest episode of “24/7” we once again get uncomfortably close to Pacquiao and his wife Jinky’s embattled marriage and see up close and personal how the Marquez family has come up in the world.

We also get more from the two fighters’ trainers, Freddie Roach for Pacquiao and Ignacio Beristain for Marquez, two of the best and most famous in the sport. There’s Pacquiao dancing Gangman Style and filing for re-election for his congressional post in between Bible meetings, and Marquez starting his Mexico City training camp off early to fight off old age.

Check out Episode Two and then tune in to HBO Saturday night at 9:30EST for the third installment. If you miss that, we’ll have it published on CP later as well because we have to do everything for you guys.

– Elias Cepeda

(Via HBOSports)

Other than the elusive white whale of a fight between PacMan and Floyd Mayweather Jr, a fourth fight between the Phillipine’s Pacquiao and Mexico’s Marquez is pretty much the only meaningful pound-for-pound match up in boxing right now. In the latest episode of “24/7″ we once again get uncomfortably close to Pacquiao and his wife Jinky’s embattled marriage and see up close and personal how the Marquez family has come up in the world.

– Elias Cepeda

’24/7: Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV’ — Full Episode 1 Video

(Props: YouTube/HBOsports)

Here in the Potato Nation we don’t take time to discuss boxing all too often. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t bring you HBO’s behind-the-scenes look at the next chapter of a rivalry that is already one of boxing’s greatest of all time.

On December 8th, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will fight one another for the fourth time in eight years. And no, this isn’t one of those boxing promoter scams where the same decrepit guys get rolled out in wheelchairs to fight one another, over and again, long after interest has died in the match up. Pacquiao and Marquez fill two of the top three pound-for-pound spots in boxing, in this writer’s opinion, and their first three fights have left fans clamoring for a fourth.

As episode 1 of this 24/7 documentary mini-series shows with footage and round-by-round analysis from the fighters, coaches and even a judge, all three fights were extremely close and could have gone one of three ways — a win for either man or a draw, as the first one did in May 2004. Since then, Pacquiao has gotten the nods, with a split-decision in 2008 and a majority decision last year.

(Props: YouTube/HBOsports)

Does Marquez, nearing 40, still have what it takes to push Pacquiao as much or more than we’ve seen anyone do in the past eight years or so? Will Pacquiao finally be able to finish Marquez — as he is, uncharacteristically, saying he will this time — and has Pac’s controversial loss to Timothy Bradley given him extra motivation to put on a brilliant performance in his return?

Only fight night will reveal the answers to those questions. For now, we’re having a lot of fun watching the lead-up.

– Elias Cepeda

Friday Link Dump: UFC 152 Staredown Videos, Pacquiao’s Latest Offer to Mayweather + More

(The Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort staredown from today’s UFC 152 weigh-ins, via YouTube.com/UFC. The Benavidez/Johnson and Bisping/Stann staredowns are after the jump.)

– Manny Pacquiao Will Take A 45-55 Split, So It’s Time For Floyd Mayweather To Stop Being A Baby And Fight Him Already (Deadspin)

– Vitor Belfort Talk Blackzillians, Representing The Old School (HeavyMMA)

– Roy Nelson, Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski Open To Facing Daniel Cormier (MMAConvert)

– Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Smith Added To November Strikeforce Card (Fightline)

– Chris Weidman ‘A Little Shocked, Confused, Disappointed’ Over UFC 153’s Silva-Bonnar Booking (MMAJunkie)

– TUF 16 Looks to Bounce Back After Lowest-Rated Opener (MMAFighting)

– Is Facebook Making You Fat? (MensFitness)

– The 50 Most Infamous Criminals in Sports History (Complex)

– The Ultimate Pole Dancing Fails Compilation (WorldWideInterweb)

– 5 Things You Remember If You’re a 90’s Kid (DoubleViking)

– The Best Aged Whiskeys And Why They’re Better…And So Expensive (MadeMan)

– 25 Awesomely Hilarious Children’s Homework Answers (EgoTV)

(The Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort staredown from today’s UFC 152 weigh-ins, via YouTube.com/UFC. The Benavidez/Johnson and Bisping/Stann staredowns are after the jump.)