"Does Pacquiao need Marquez? Absolutely," said De La Hoya who was among those disappointed over Pacquiao’s split decision over Marquez last March.

De La Hoya said Pacquiao’s fight with Diaz did not sell as expected.

"In his bout with David Diaz, I expected him to win. He brought speed and strength. I feel that he needs another bout with (Juan Manuel) Marquez. The bout with David Diaz did not sell the way they thought it would," said De La Hoya who turns 36 in February next year.

Marquez, who is under contract with De La Hoya’s firm Golden Boy Promotions, has also recently moved up to the lightweight ranks in an obvious move to lure Pacquiao to another fight.

De La Hoya has announced that he will make his last fight on Dec. 6, leaving the choice of his next opponent to his right-hand man Richard Schaefer.

"I told (Golden Boy Promotions Chief Executive Officer) Richard Schaefer to get me the biggest fight possible," De La Hoya told fightnews. "Whoever it is, that is who we want. There is no particular fighter. Sergio Mora is a possibility. The winner of (Miguel) Cotto-(Antonio) Margarito fight would be a great way to end my career. There is a lot of options. I am willing to fight whomever."

"There is a possibility of a fight with Manny Pacquiao," said De La Hoya, who has agreed to go down to welterweight (147 lbs) to face the Filipino southpaw.

In his last two fights, De La Hoya weighed in officially at 150 lbs but is willing to face off with Pacquiao at 147 lbs in what could turn out as a potential new record-breaker in terms of ticket and pay-per-view sales.

Pacquiao, who turns 30 this December, won his fourth world title, the World Boxing Council lightweight (135 lbs), only last month and is keen in locking horns with the world’s most charismatic puncher.