Cotto and Margarito clash for welterweight title

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Miguel Cotto defends his WBA welterweight title against Antonio Margarito at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday in one of the most highly-anticipated clashes of the year.

"Everybody talks about this being the best fight you can make in boxing and I agree, I think it is the best fight you can make in boxing," Cotto's uncle and trainer Evangelista Cotto said on Wednesday.

Cotto, 32-0 with 26 knockouts, is known for excellent boxing skills and punishing body punches. Following victories over former world champions Zab Judah and Shane Mosley in 2007, he is widely regarded as the top boxer in the welterweight division.

However, he demurred when asked whether an impressive victory on Saturday would make him the best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound.

"If you ask me who's the best fighter in the world, I'm going to say Miguel Cotto," he told reporters. "But it is not my job to make such lists. This fight is not for the pound-for-pound belt. It's for the WBA welterweight championship."

Former IBF and WBO champion Margarito, 35-5, has also knocked out 26 of his opponents and is known as a hard-punching aggressive fighter. In his most recent fight, he dominated IBF champion Kermit Cintron before knocking him out in the sixth round.

He told reporters on Wednesday his training included 500 sit-ups a day to strengthen his abdominal muscles in anticipation of Cotto's body punches, and that he questioned whether Cotto's chin could withstand his own attack.

"I've seen him hurt by lighter fighters," he said.

Cotto was noticeably shaken in fights against Judah and DeMarcus Corley, and was knocked down by Ricardo Torres in a 2005 bout.

"It doesn't matter," retorted Cotto to questions about his chin. "I always have the hunger to win and if my opponent put me in a bad condition I've always found a way to get out and finish the fight my way."

Margarito said he planned to be the first person to end that record.

"It's very important for me to be able to hand him his first defeat," he said. "But not only because it will be his first defeat. He is considered the best welterweight and I want that title. I want to be seen as the best welterweight."

"It's going to be two real warriors in the ring," countered Cotto. "But I'm going to climb into the ring as a champion, and I'm going to climb out as the champion."

(Editing by Clare Fallon)