Nick Bond

THIS is an excellent fight. You can make a case for both fighters, but either way it wouldn't be a confident pick.

I favour the experience and superior boxing of Marquez. He's one of the finest boxers in the sport and showed by becoming the first man to stop tough Cuban Casamayor that he has the strength to compete with the best at 9st 9lbs.

"Baby Bull" Diaz is younger and fresher than Marquez, has fast hands and a tight defense. However, as his nickname suggests, he is a come-forward aggressive type of fighter.

I think Marquez has most trouble with slicksters and rangy movers. As Diaz is neither, Marquez won't have trouble finding the hometowner and will play matador to the "Baby Bull".

It will be a close fight but the intelligent and gritty native Mexican

Marquez will pick off Diaz for a close decision and prove once again what a supreme fighter he is.

Danny Flexen

What a cracking fight this is. Diaz, despite his loss to Nate Campbell, remains a potentially huge star. At only 25, Diaz will be able to rebound should he lose to Marquez. For Marquez, however, it could prove to be a long, hard road back at 35.

Diaz is aggressive but it's smart. steady aggression. He throws in bunches, cuts the ring off well and will have to work hard to stop the adaptable Marquez establishing a rhythm. On the flip side Marquez will mix it up and try to make his – probably fewer – shots count. The only man to beat Marquez in almost three years is consensus pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and after 54 fights it's hard to believe Diaz will bring anything the Mexican has not see before.

Diaz showed against michael Katsidis that he could box as well as brawl but Marquez is an old master and simply has too much at the relative stages of the two men's careers. Marquez on points.

Tris Dixon

When we listed the 10 fights we wanted to see this year in one of our magazine 10 Counts this is the one that headed my list.

Diaz showed he is not just a one-dimensional pug by soundly outboxing Michael Katsidis last year and we all know how special Marquez is.

But Juan Manuel has a high mileage (also 10 years older) whereas Diaz is just getting started. Sure, he was – to a degree – found out by Nate Campbell (he certainly had issues with promoter Don King at the time – he is now with Golden Boy, like Marquez) but the “Galaxxy Warrior” fought a terrific fight and Campbell has a style and understanding of the sport that would present anyone with problems.

I expect this to be a hard, closely-fought contest and while I am leaning towards Marquez I can’t help but think that Diaz is so big and strong at a weight that Marquez is new to that he has an edge, plus he’s fighting at 'home.

I would not be surprised if Diaz outworked him but really, ultimately, whichever way this fight plays out in my mind it ends with Marquez having his hand raised after a tough, action and drama-filled 12 rounds.