By Chris Williams: When I look at the kinds of fights that Manny Pacquiao has been put in during his career, especially in the past two years, I can’t help thinking how his legacy won’t be anything like it could have been had he been matched better against the absolute best fighters in boxing instead of just fighting stable fighters recently.

I look all the lost fights, such as the third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, fights against Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams, Timothy Bradley, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Alfredo Angulo, Amir Khan, and Shane Mosley earlier in his career.

I think someone like UFC president Dana White would have really made Pacquiao a huge star and not just someone that is fighting old guys or stable fighters in his last years. White has a philosophy where he only wants his fighters to take on the very best fighter.

He doesn’t believe in ducking anyone or cherry picking for his fighters. White only wants to match the best against the best. This is perhaps the main reason why the UFC is flourishing right now and boxing isn’t.

Some boxing promoters are too busy trying to protect their fighters, and having them milk their titles for as long as possible. White doesn’t believe in that. He’s all about having the best fighters go at each other and he has no patience for fighters that don’t want to take on the best guys.

I think White would have had Pacquiao fight Mayweather last year. I strongly believe he would have found a way to get round the impasse over the drug testing and he wouldn’t have been resistant. I don’t think for a second that White would have matched Pacquiao against guys like Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey or especially Mosley at this point in his career.

I think White would have Pacquiao facing the toughest guys. Martinez vs. Pacquiao would have likely been done a long time ago. Just think how great and respected Pacquiao would be if he were fighting all the guys that I mentioned. He would be the top dog beyond question instead of someone that a lot of boxing fans have questions about because of his fights in the past couple of years and because he won’t fight a rematch with Marquez.

Of course, Pacquiao might get beaten by most if not all of the fighters that I mentioned, so maybe it’s better that White didn’t promote him.