Pacquiao vs Bradley 3 Predictions: WBO Champ Could Outbox Filipino Rival, Says Naazim Richardson

This means that Manny Pacquiao will try to regain the WBO welterweight title from Timothy Bradley for a second time.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. thinks that Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) selected Tim Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs) to fight in his next fight on April 9th because he's the only one of the three candidates that his promoter Bob Arum picked out that he can beat.

The Top Rank spokesman Lee Samuels said the pay-per-view fight has not officially been signed, but that both fighters had agreed to terms and that Pacquiao has been given a $2m (£1.3m) advance on his guaranteed $20m purse.

The 37-year-old Pacquiao is coming off a unanimous decision defeat to American superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Bradley scored a rare knockout in his last fight, stopping the previously durable Brandon Rios, who even Pacquiao was unable to put down.

The first Pacquiao-Bradley fight sold around 700,000 pay-per-view hits, and the rematch did around 800,000. Arum said that they liked what they saw from the California native, which was the reason why they strongly considered him for Pacquiao's next fight, which could also be the farewell bout of the Filipino boxing icon. However, Pacquiao chose to go the Bradley route, much to the chagrin of fight fans hoping to see the "Pac-Man" pass the torch to Crawford.

Whether Pacquiao fights again or not is something will find out in time.

"We haven't seen this fight already, because this is a new Bradley", Arum said. "The report about Adrian Broner fighting Pacquiao is untrue".

MGM Grand hosted the firsts two bouts and will also serve as the stage for the end of the trilogy.

But Mike Koncz, who serves as Pacquiao's adviser, insists Pacquiao needs to get away from the maddening political scene in the Philippines to concentrate on beating Bradley in stunning fashion. "In your heart you know I was winning the fight".

"Right now the family is vacationing and enjoying the holidays, and we are not thinking about a future fight at this time." says Monica Bradley.

Bradley has been on a quest for respect ever since he was given a decision win over Pacquiao that the majority of fans and media felt he didn't deserve.

Pacquiao had been expected to retire, with little left to prove after achieving his long-stated goal of getting in the ring with Mayweather, but then said in October that he would return for one more fight in 2016.

Pacquiao fought with a torn rotator cuff against Mayweather. "This is a different Bradley". "It may well be his last fight, it may not be his last fight". This week in a question and answer with fans on his Facebook page Pacquiao said his shoulder was "100 per cent". "It may well be his last fight".