NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – When Joshua Clottey steps into  the ring against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on  March 13 the Ghanaian will imagine he is fighting someone else.

The 32-year-old said on Thursday he had a world of respect  for Filipino Pacquiao and liked him personally and so would be  fixing his mind on another target as motivation.

“I’m going to fight because of somebody,” Clottey told a  small cluster of reporters as he ran on a treadmill at Kingsway  Gym a few blocks south of the Empire State Building.

“I’m fighting Pacquiao, but I’m fighting somebody else  outside the ring. Nobody knows. I’ll let everybody know after  the fight. It’s my secret.”

Clottey moved from the treadmill to the ring for some  punching practice against a sparring partner.

Looking on from the side, his manager Vinnie Scolpino might  have let the cat out of the bag.

“He wants to beat (Pacquiao’s trainer) Freddie Roach. That’s  his motivation,” Scolpino said. “He wants to put him in his  place. He beats Pacquiao, he puts Freddie in his place, too.  Roach says he (Pacquiao) is going to knock him out.

Scolpino said Clottey was offended by the prediction.

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The lean yet muscular Clottey worked up a healthy sweat as  he moved from the ring to the heavy bag and speed bag before  finishing with some calisthenics and stretching.

“I’m in the best shape of my life,” said Clottey, a former  IBF welterweight champion who will carry a 35-3 record into the  bout, including a controversial split decision loss to Miguel  Cotto in his last fight.

Pacquiao, named Fighter of the Year in the last two years  and Fighter of the Decade by the Boxing Writers Association of  America, stopped Cotto in the 12th round in his last fight.

Clottey’s big payday clash with Pacquiao (50-3-2) came about  when the Filipino’s mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr fell  through over arguments about dope testing protocols.

The million-dollar-plus purse will be Clottey’s biggest.

“This fight is like a miracle,” said the Ghanaian, adding  that his defensive skills would be a crucial factor in the bout.

“We all know Manny Pacquiao. When he comes, he starts  throwing. I’m just ready. My body can take it.

“When he throws on me, I will block him and that will  confuse him. He’ll throw 30, and I’ll throw four. The four will  connect. The 30, I’ll block most.

“I will wear him down. For sure.”