Puerto Rican boxing icon Miguel Cotto is looking to sign off in style on a stellar career in 2017.
Cotto (40-5) is due to retire from the sport this year after a boxing journey which has seen him fight the best fighters of his generation across a number of weight classes.
He burst onto the scene after a back-and-forth duel with Ricarrdo Torres in 2005 before fighting the likes of Zab Judah, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Saul Alvarez.
Speaking to ESPN ahead of his fight with James Kirkland on 25th February, Cotto said: “This is the last year of my career and I want to end my career in the best way possible.
"I knew I wanted to come back and this is the way that I want to do it. I want to have two or three fights this year. We will see.”
Cotto last fought in November 2015 when he was beaten by Mexican star Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Looking ahead to what 2017 might bring he said: “I’m here for the best fights and the best fighters out there, so if Canelo Alvarez wants to fight, to clear what happened November 2015, they know where to find me.
"It was close. We orchestrated the plan in a perfect way and we believe that we were the winners of the fight," he added.
Oddly, his next opponent, James Kirkland is also coming into the contest on the back of a 2015 loss to Alvarez. The pair are due to fight at the Ford Center in Texas next month.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
