Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez will be facing the biggest challenge of his career when he collides with Miguel Cotto on June 7 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Martinez, who will put his World Boxing Council middleweight title on the line, holds Cotto in high regard because of his impressive resume, saying that facing a great fighter like Cotto motivates him to train harder for the bout.

"I am facing one of the best boxers out of Puerto Rico. He is one of the best in the history of Puerto Rico and held titles in three different weight divisions. Fighting Cotto motivates me to train," Martinez told BoxingScene.

When asked about his thoughts regarding his chances against Cotto, Martinez expressed confidence, insisting that he is more used to going up against bigger and stronger opponents.

"I think I'll have the physical advantages in my favor, because I have become accustomed to fighting with opponents who are bigger and stronger than me," Martinez said.

The 39-year-old Argentinian also played down speculation that he will not be as effective as he was before because of his knee problems.

Martinez has not fought since scoring a unanimous decision victory over Martin Murray in April last year after sustaining a left knee injury that required major surgery.

The Buenos Aires native is confident that his knee will hold up in his return bout, saying that he is taking a cautious approach in his training to avoid re-injuring his knee before the fight.

"My knee has suffered several injuries over the years that cause me pain. I am constantly with a bag of ice, I do massages and I use creams. I have not run in a year. The pain is just from walking. But I have to keep training hard because I do not want to lose. Everyone knows in Argentina that I'm going to give everything I have in order to win," Martinez said.

Martinez vowed to be at his best on fight night, reiterating that he will go all out to spoil Cotto becoming the first Puerto Rican to win world titles in four different divisions.