By Miguel Rivera

Former world champion Antonio Margarito hopes to be back in the ring on August 26 in Mexico, a situation that is not ideal because by then it will be more than a year without having climbed into the ring, but in the end it will allow him to continue testing himself for a big fight.

Margarito, who was initially budgeted to fight in April, said that there was no agreement by then and the dates were extended until the month of August with the 26th given to him a as tentative return date in the state of Chihuahua, north of Mexico .

"Obviously it is not ideal. I did not want to go a year without fighting, and by then it will be a year, but in the end we want to continue boxing and it's a good opportunity to achieve our goal - which is to pursue a big fight. I would love to fight a trilogy with Miguel Cotto," Margarito told ESPN Deportes.

Margarito stopped an undefeated Cotto when they met in the welterweight division back in 2008 in Las Vegas. The rematch took place at junior middleweight, in 2011 in New York City, with Cotto gaining a stoppage win when Margarito's eye swelled up badly and the ringside doctor stopped the fight.

The lingering eye injury was the result of a terrible beating that he took at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in 2010. He suffered a fractured orbital bone and underwent several surgeries.

After losing to Cotto, Margarito retired from the sport and returned to the ring last year - when the boxer picked up  two victories over Jorge 'Maromerito' Paez and Ramón 'Innocent' Alvarez.

Since then he's been taking care of himself.

"I was really preparing [to fight in April], I took a vacation of two weeks a few days ago but I had been training. You know that I always go to the gym but I do not want to be overtrained or burn myself out in the gym, so I was told of this date in Chihuahua. I have no opponent for now, but hopefully I will get confirmation," Margarito said.

Margarito said that he wants to fight for a world championship at 154 pounds and even at 160 pounds.

"That was my intention when I returned. I repeat, I want a third fight with Cotto. If he wants it, I'm ready to do it, but if he says no then I think after that fight in August I will be ready for any champion at 154 pounds, and if something good comes out at 160 - then why not," said Margarito, who returned after five years of retirement and now has a record of 40-8 and 27 knockouts.

Cotto, who just signed a multi-fight deal with Golden Boy Promotions, also returns on August 26th, in a fight against Yoshihiro Kamegai for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title.