By Keith Idec

LAS VEGAS – Oscar De La Hoya’s confidence in Canelo Alvarez often has prompted him to predict knockouts before the Mexican superstar’s fights.

De La Hoya’s respect for Daniel Jacobs’ will prevented him from doing that Tuesday. Alvarez’s promoter believes it’s more likely that Alvarez will beat Jacobs on points when they fight Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

The retired six-division champion can’t help but think that if cancer couldn’t conquer Jacobs, it’ll be difficult for any opponent to stop him – even Alvarez. De La Hoya discussed the Alvarez-Jacobs bout with a group of reporters following their “grand arrivals” Tuesday at MGM Grand.

“Do I expect it?,” De La Hoya replied when asked if he anticipates Alvarez will win by knockout. “No, I don’t expect it. Just the fact I keep on thinking about how Jacobs overcame cancer, you know? And his will to not be defeated by that, which makes him stronger for any fight that he’s in. Especially this one – this is the fight of his life, inside the ring.

“So, Canelo doesn’t expect a knockout. Obviously, he goes for the knockout. If it comes, it comes. You know, he’s always throwing some great power shots. With a fighter like Jacobs, it’s totally different, just because of his style and his will.”

Jacobs overcame a malignant tumor that wrapped around his spine in 2011. Cancer temporarily crippled Jacobs, but he returned to the ring in October 2012 and became a two-time middleweight champion.

His incredibly inspirational story is one of the most remarkable in boxing history, one that has always resonated with De La Hoya.

In October 1990, De La Hoya’s mother, Cecilia, succumbed to breast cancer. The Hall-of-Famer fighter used her death as motivation to win a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Jacobs, meanwhile, has lost by knockout or technical knockout only once in 11 years as a pro. That fifth-round TKO defeat to Russia’s Dmitry Pirog occurred in July 2010, the year before Jacobs was diagnosed with cancer.

DAZN will stream the scheduled 12-round bout between Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) and Brooklyn’s Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) on Saturday night. They’ll fight for Alvarez’s WBA and WBC middleweight titles, as well as Jacobs’ IBF 160-pound crown.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.