Juan Manuel Marquez Unsure About Fifth Fight With Manny Pacquiao

Juan Manuel Marquez recently played down speculation suggesting that he will face Manny Pacquiao again if the Filipino boxing icon wins against Timothy Bradley in their scheduled rematch on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Marquez told BoxingScene that his top priority at this point is to win a fifth title. The 40-year-old Mexican could actually get the chance to fulfill his goal against Pacquiao if the former pound-for-pound king reclaims the WBO welterweight title against Bradley, but Marquez sounded cold about the idea of facing his nemesis again.

"A fifth world title excites me, but a fifth fight with Pacquiao does not," Marquez said.

Marquez said that he does not want to have his victory against Pacquiao tainted with another controversial loss, saying that he wants to keep the memory of his sixth-round knockout win against Pacquiao fresh in the minds of his fans.

"The important thing is to stay with that feeling of December 8, 2012 - not just for me but for all Mexicans. We won't forget that date for a long time. I don't want to lose that feeling with a bad decision, like what happened in the second and third fight. I would go through life wondering why I accepted a fifth fight and why I would risk something that I worked really hard to get," Marquez said.

The former four-division champion previously said that he is planning to fight two more times before hanging up his gloves. Marquez, who absorbed a split-decision loss to the undefeated Bradley in October, was pushing for a rematch with Bradley before he agreed to a second fight with Pacquiao.

Marquez said that he would push for a rematch again if Bradley defeats Pacquiao on April 12. But if Bradley loses his title, Marquez stated that he will consider all his options, including having his final fight in Mexico for his fans.

"If Bradley wins, we would go for a rematch. But if he doesn't win, we have to analyze the pros and cons [of what to do next]. I'd like to retire in Mexico. It would be a compliment and a great satisfaction to say goodbye to my people, my country. It would be the right to do, to thank my people for their affection by fighting for them," Marquez said.