Former pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao believes he's heading into a make-or-break fight with hard-hitting challenger Brandon Rios after suffering two straight setbacks at the hands of Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez last year.
The 34-year-old Pacquiao is scheduled to return to the ring against Rios on November 23 at the CotaiArena at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel in Macau, China. This marks the first time the Filipino boxing icon fights outside the United States after seven years.
According to Top-Rank promoter Bob Arum, Rios has already agreed to the terms of the contract on Monday while Pacquiao is set to sign the paperwork this week.
Pacquiao, who's running unopposed for another term in the Philippine Congress, considers his looming bout with Rios as a must-win.
Pacquiao is currently at a low point in his career after absorbing a controversial unanimous decision loss to Timothy Bradley in June and a sixth-round knockout loss at the hands of his arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez in December.
Long-time Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz thinks Pacquiao will definitely get his mojo back when he mixes it out with Rios, who's known for his rugged style of boxing.
Arum also agreed that the Pacquiao-Rios will be a total war with both fighters possessing enough power to end the match in a blink of an eye.
"People know what Rios brings to the table," Arum told ESPN.com. "People want to see a real fight, and that is what you get with Rios. We're building a business in Macau and China and these are the kinds of fights -- real action fights -- that they want to see."
Macau is steadily becoming an ideal spot for boxing events because of its less punitive taxes it offers compared to fights held in Las Vegas.
Earlier this year, Top-Rank promotions presented the professional debut of two-two time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming, who cruised to a unanimous decision win over Mexican Eleazar Valenzuela.
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