Pacquiao set to go where no fighter has been before

By Kieran Mulvaney

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, is poised to go where no boxer has gone before when he challenges Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title on Saturday.

Victory at the MGM Grand Garden Arena would give the "Pacman" from General Santos City a seventh world title belt in an unprecedented seventh weight division.

"If I win this fight, it will be history for boxing and for the Philippines," Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37 KOs), told reporters on Wednesday.

The Filipino southpaw currently holds the IBO light-welterweight title, which he won with a stunning second round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in May.

He has previously held titles at flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight.

It has been a remarkable procession for a man who began his professional career fighting at 105 pounds -- 40 pounds lighter than the contracted weight for Saturday's bout.

"Now to be welterweight, I can't believe it," Pacquiao said. "I just thank God every day for what he gave to me."

He acknowledges, though, that the more powerful Cotto will provide him with the toughest challenge of his career.