By Miguel Rivera

Former world champion Antonio Margarito has promised to make a statement on March 5th at the Mexico City Arena when he faces Jorge 'Maromerito' Páez.

Margarito, 38-years-old, has been inactive since December of 2011. He was stopped in nine rounds in his last fight by Miguel Cotto.

The Mexican veteran wants to prove that his skills are still the same and there are no issues with his right eye. He suffered a fractured orbital bone in his 2010 decision loss to Manny Pacquiao. After multiple surgeries, the eye quickly swelled up in the early rounds of his fight with Cotto and eventually led to the fight being stopped.

He retired after that fight, fearing that his eye would create problems in future contests.

"Right now I've had two weeks of sparring. To be honest I was wondered how my body was going to react and the truth is my body has answered me well. I've sparred and I feel strong. I feel very happy, very motivated. I can say that I am already at 160-162 pounds. Usually a month before my fights I was 17 pounds [over the limit] on average," Margarito told ESPN Deportes.

Margarito is not going to allow Paez Jr. (39-7-2, 23 KOs), the son of a Mexican legend, to gain any confidence in the fight. "The Tijuana Tornado" is planning to come out like a force in the first round.

"He's a good fighter, he has talent, but the opportunities that he's had - he's fell short. I'm looking for a spectacular victory, so people are convinced and view me as a fighter who can give more. It make me happy that people want to see more of me. I've been training hard and I feel very motivated to give a great fight at the Mexico City Arena and have my hand raised at the end," Margarito said.

"I'm ready for the champions, because I know I have hunger and the strength to become a world champion."