By Rick Reeno

Sergio Diaz, co-manager for WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito, contacted BoxingScene.com to make it known that Margarito is ready and willing to fight Oscar De La Hoya on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

De La Hoya's negotiations for a fight with Manny Pacquiao took a turn for the worse on Wednesday when Pacquiao's attorney, Franklin Gacal, issued a statement calling De La Hoya's firm stand on a 70-30 revenue split - "unacceptable." De la Hoya rejected Pacquiao's counter of a 60-40 split. According to Gacal, he was advised by Pacquiao to start negotiating the terms for a fight with Humberto Soto in November.

Given the recent knockout of Miguel Cotto, the inability to secure Pacquiao and the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr, De La Hoya's back is against the wall for a December opponent. Diaz says that Oscar should show the boxing world that he is a true Mexican by stepping up to the plate to fight Margarito.

"He said he would fight the winner of Cotto and Tony and then Margarito knocks out Cotto and De La Hoya creates an excuse that he doesn't want to fight another Mexican," Diaz said.

Team Margarito is willing to accommodate De La Hoya with special terms to prevent him from getting badly hurt.

"He can wear head-gear. Margarito can wear 14-ounce gloves. Whatever he wants to avoid getting hurt. Margarito told me that what Oscar needs to do is take off the fishnets that he still wears underneath his clothes, step up and become a man by accepting the fight. If he wants, he can fight with the fishnets. What ever he wants to get the fight done," Diaz said.