Pacquiao vs. Thurman Fight 'Will Not Go 12 Rounds,' Pacman Says

Despite having zero knockout wins in his previous fights, eight-division title holder Manny Pacquiao believes his next fight against WBA welterweight champ Keith Thurman will not last 12 rounds.

Pacquiao has not put a KO win across his name in his last matches, but is confident enough to say that his upcoming bout against Thurman will not last the whole of 12 rounds. The Filipino legend believes that he can knock the younger fighter out in a calculated timeframe.

Several weeks ago, Pacquiao’s long-time trainer Freddie Roach said that he believes the 40-year-old champ is hungry for a knockout. This is because Pacquiao has never knocked a guy out ever since he moved up to 147 lb division.

The future Hall of Famer himself has finally set it straight as he spoke about how he sees the fight would go.

In the interview with Boxing Scene, Pacquiao evidently sounded a lot more confident and furious. A bit far from what the people were used to which is the humble and calm Pacquiao.

The legend started to spice things up when he stated that he truly hopes Thurman will be “able to handle” the moment despite the fact that it will be the young champ’s first pay-per-view main event.

“I still get excited when I enter the ring for a big fight. Focus and discipline will be essential. I am sure he will be able to handle the moment,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao also spoke about training for the upcoming fight. He said alltraining camps are the same for him, which implies that nothing special is needed to be done in training for Thurman.

“I still enjoy training camp. It feels like a vacation for me. All training camps are the same for me. I work hard. No shortcuts,” Pacquiao revealed.

In the end, Pacquiao was directly asked what success would look like in his fight against Thurman. The Filipino champ answered confidently that based on his analysis the fight will not last 12 rounds.

“There is a big percentage this fight will not go 12 rounds. That is not a prediction but my analysis,” Pacquiao emphasized.

The highly anticipated bout of both champions will happen on July 20 at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.