Manny Pacquiao will face Floyd Mayweather next month in what is being called the "Fight of the Century," but he is not worried.
The boxing champion said there is no doubt in his mind that victory will be his on May 2.
"I have 100 per cent confidence that the Lord my God, whom I am serving, will deliver him into my hands," Pacquiao told Katie Couric in a recent interview.
While Pacquiao admittedly does not like his opponent, he did concede that the undefeated boxer has good defensive skills. But, he added, throwing a lot of punches is how boxers win.
The highly-anticipated fight will place at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and is expected to make over $400 million in revenue. Pacquiao stands to make over $100 million from the fight, but said the matchup means much more to him than money.
"It's once in a lifetime," he admitted. "This fight is really big, really important, especially in my country."
He is even more committed to training and defeating Mayweather because of his idol status in the Philippines. The 36-year-old said that he does not want to disappoint his fans, and maintains a disciplined lifestyle to be a role model to others.
Pacquiao admitted that he wasn't always the pillar of the community, however.
"I drank, womanising, gambling, everything," he told Couric. "But when I surrendered my life to the Lord, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I surrendered my whole life."
The fighter is now a husband and father of five, who is building a church, school, and community centre on 5.7 acres in General Santos City, Philippines. He plans to call the church Word for Everyone.
"I want to leave behind a legacy of faith and a House of God," he explained. "This is more self-fulfilling than my achievements in boxing and politics."
