Juan Manuel Marquez believes hard work and discipline are the primary reasons why he remains in great shape heading into his welterweight championship showdown with Timothy Bradley on October 12 at Thomas & Mach Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Marquez, who recently turned 40-years old last August, said rigorous trainings with balanced diet has kept him on top of his game this late in his boxing career.
"Since I became a professional boxer I have understood the importance of staying in good shape between fights and I have always tried to adapt to any new trends as far as physical conditioning goes for professional athletes," Marquez told Boxing Scene on Saturday.
"Boxing is a very difficult sport and there are a lot of sacrifices that need to be made during training camp but also in-between fights," he added.
Considered as one of the explosive boxers in the featherweight and lightweight division in the last decade, Marquez said his body has adopted well as he moved up in weight and fought for championship in his previous bouts.
"From 2007 until now I have fought at 130, 135, 140 and 147 pounds. And have also won championships in those divisions except for 147 pounds where I am looking to become the first Méxican to win five world titles in five different weight divisions. And while it has not be easy to stay at top of my game for this long I have learned to give my body the rest it needs and the work it needs to get me through these very difficult and challenging bouts," said Marquez, who's looking to become the first Mexican to win a world title in five different division.
Doping rumors have rocked Marquez and his camp ever since he knocked down Manny Pacquiao in the sixth round of their fourth fight last December. Yet, Marquez insisted that he was clean and never used illegal substance during his training camp.
When asked about the possibility of retiring after the Bradley fight, Marquez thinks his body can still withstand the wear and tear of training, insisting retirement because of his age is not enough reason for him to hang his gloves.
"While I never thought that I would be fighting at this age, I have never felt that I should retire just because of my age. My body continues to feel good and mentally I feel at top of my game. The fact that I have changed my preparation for my fights -- adapting to my age -- has also helped; doing things differently has prevented my training from becoming boring and tedious," the Mexican added.
Marquez and Bradley will slug it out for the WBO Welterweight title roughly two weeks from now.
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