Title holder David Diaz wants Saturday's World Boxing Council lightweight title fight against super featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao to be a "war."

"I want it to be a great fight," Diaz told reporters at the Mandalay Bay Resort venue. "I want it to be a war.

"I want it to go down as one of the great fights of the year, if not the decade," added the American, who goes into the bout as the underdog.
 

Pacquiao, who has won 46 of his 51 fights and recorded 34 knockout victories, is looking to add the lightweight crown to the flyweight, super bantamweight and super featherweight titles he has already claimed in his career.

The Filipino, however, is not taking Diaz for granted.

"He can punch, he's not careless. He has a chance to win," said Pacquiao.

"He likes to come forward and I like to fight a guy like that. I can't take him lightly."

Diaz, who has won 34 of his 36 fights and gained 17 knockout victories, agreed with his opponent.

"If I was Manny I'd be worried about my will, that I'm not going to go away easily," he said.

"THROW BOMBS"

"He's going to have to throw bombs and do what he has to do but I will still be there. It's my nature."

The fight is Pacquiao's first as a lightweight, which is six weight divisions higher than when he made his professional debut in January 1995 at the age of 16.

But he is confident he will not be at a strength disadvantage against Diaz, who is a more natural lightweight.

"I'm not worried about my punching power," said Pacquiao.

Much of the pre-fight focus has been on Pacquiao's quest for a fourth title and his climb through the weight divisions.

Diaz, who won his title with a 10th-round stoppage of Jose Armando Santa Cruz in August 2006 and defended it against Erik Morales a year later, said he was unconcerned about the spotlight being on the challenger.

"That's not a problem," said the champion. "He's done a lot for boxing.

"You've got to give it to the guy. The guy's a draw. Hopefully after this fight I'll be the draw."