Manny Pacquiao, 46, is trying to make history Saturday night by becoming the second-oldest champion in history when he faces WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Bernard Hopkins holds the record as the oldest champion at 49, breaking a record the late great George Foreman set at 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994.

Pacquiao’s comeback campaign after a four-year layoff, coming off a loss, is not a one-off, and the Hall of Famer has ambitious plans to fight several more times in the coming years to break Hopkins’ record.

“Being inactive and away from the ring for four years at the highest level is a long time, rebooting myself to get back into the ring is something I never had to do,” Hopkins told The Ring. “My advantage is that I never stopped fighting, and I kept going until I couldn't anymore.

"The downfall of accomplishing any goal, or breaking and setting any records, becomes more of a fantasy than reality. Time is good for athletes, and time is bad. If timing clashes, it's more of a downside than upside of Pacquiao being successful.”

Hopkins was a champion at 46, 48, and 49 and fought until 51. His last two fights, however, were not fruitful. Hopkins lost a shutout unanimous decision to Sergey Kovalev in 2014 and a brutal eighth-round stoppage to end his career in 2016 against Joe Smith Jr., who knocked him out of the ring.

“When Father Time shows up, it normally doesn't tell you or give you a warning — it's unannounced and there aren’t any negotiations,” said Hopkins. “And when it does give you a warning, most of the time you don't listen. Then it becomes too late because you’re physically fighting a person in front of you who is trying to knock your head off.

"And you are fighting Father Time as you try to react, move and dodge the punches. It's serious once the punches land, and you realize you're not in your 20s and 30s anymore.

“Strength and physique is a bigger factor than actually having the IQ when you are fighting at an older age. It doesn't feel like it did before and you can't find your rhythm. You become more of a defensive fighter than an offensive fighter because you're not willing to engage like you used to.

"You might have a spark here, or a spark there, but you realize the meter of what you used to be is not there. Then you have to survive and do it in a way where the rest of the world doesn't notice as you try to avoid embarrassment.”

Pacquiao is a sizable betting underdog against Barrios, but he’s been adamant that he’s rejuvenated since the last time he graced the ring in a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. Pacquiao is also promising the ending to his rags-to-riches story won’t resemble the sad script set by the aging legends before him.

If Pacquiao beats Barrios, he’ll set two new records as the only active Hall of Famer to win a world title, and he’ll break his record as the oldest welterweight champion of all time, a mark he set in 2019 when he beat Keith Thurman for the last win of his career.

“I understand history. I chased history. I accomplished history. I realize what Pacquiao is trying to do,” said Hopkins. “He has the ingredients to do what I have done and surpass that. I love it.

“The fun part is waiting to see if he can do it over the next few years. That's the suspense, but it's not going to be easy. That's what makes this comeback special. People are curious and are having conversations. People are going to watch."

“Pacquiao has a chance to break my record, but the chance is about 20%. The sand in the hourglass has a say in it. He’s still 2 ½ years away. But Pacquiao is at the top of the longevity club, like I was. You can't take that away from Pacquiao.

"He's still a threat in this era. You can't underestimate his talent and abilities. He's not been known as the type to stagger out of bars, indulge in substances that aren't good for the body and gain 50 pounds between fights. He's been consistent throughout his career.

“Pacquiao is an alien that is invading this generation. The talent that is there today in the welterweight division waiting for him is energetic, and Barrios can fight. But Pacquiao will accomplish history on Saturday night — he just needs to stay away from the top guys, or else it’s execution.”