By Steve Kim

A lot is on the line as former IBF featherweight belt-holder, Evgeny Gradovich faces the highly regarded Oscar Valdez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand as part of the pay-per-view card that features the third chapter between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley.

Egis Klimas, who manages Gradovich says - "It's not his career on the line, he's always been talking before this fight about moving to 122 but I think he had a very, very good camp."

"Even if he's not going to win this fight - which I think he will because knowing Gradovich in the past, throwing punches non-stop - he has a very good possibility to wear Valdez down and finish him in the later rounds or go the distance."

Klimas would like to see the hard-charging grinder of the past and not the one that has struggled recently.

"If he's going to fight like he did the last couple fights then he will have a problem and of course I'm telling him he needs to fight and he's been losing to good fighters," said Klimas, who believes it's not just the result that matters, but the manner in which you fight which is equally as important.

"If you fight good, look at Brandon Rios, how many fights he lost, even Manny Pacquiao. It doesn't mean so much about losing, it's how you're losing.

Gradovich (21-1-1/9 KO's) lost his IBF title last May against Lee Selby. A loss to Valdez could hasten a drop to junior featherweight.

"That's what he's talking about,'' confirmed Klimas. "He wants to be the first Russian who wins a championship in a second weight class."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com