Pacquiao: 'I am stronger than David Diaz'

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao thinks he can beat David Diaz because he has become stronger moving up from the super flyweight to the lightweight division. "I don't believe Diaz is stronger than me. I believe I am stronger than him," Pacquiao told fightfan.com."Moving up in weight is not a problem for me because I will maintain my speed and power." But he expects Diaz to be aggressive in their bout, scheduled for June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines) at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. "I expect that Diaz will come and attack me, and we are prepared for that," Pacquiao said. "I have trained very hard and I am ready to fight. I am excited for June 28, and I know this will be an exciting fight because our styles are similar. It is going to be a good fight." Pacquiao, however, has another concern – their being both southpaws which could lead to something he had experienced several times in past bouts. "Diaz is strong and he can punch," he said. "But I am a bit concerned about head-butts." But will he able to keep the speed he has become known for? "A lot of people feel (the move up in weight) will be difficult, but I believe I will be stronger at 135 pound," he said. "I am working in training camp on maintaining my speed." Pacquiao attributed his gain in strength from the fact that he does not have to go on a diet while training for the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title match. "I am doing well in training because I can eat more than when I was trying to make 130 pounds," he said. "I feel very good. I like to eat rice and vegetables when I am training. In the past when I was trying to make 130 pounds I was tired from not eating, and I felt less powerful. Now that I can eat a bit more I feel I have more energy." Pacquiao also revealed that he is open to fighting in the 140 pound division. "I think I can fight at 140 pounds," he said. "If I look back on my career I've gone from 107 pounds to 135 pounds. 140 pounds isn't that far off. My weight when I am not in training is 150 pounds." - GMANews.TV