Ricky Hatton has been told his dream of being acclaimed the world's best pound-for-pound boxer will be dashed if he attempts to out-muscle Manny Pacquiao on Saturday, rather than out-smart him.

The warning comes from David Diaz, who learned last year that wading in against Pacquiao the acclaimed five-weight world champion from the Philippines will not work.

Diaz hasn't fought since a right-left combination launched by the southpaw Pacquiao left him sprawled face down on the canvas in the ninth round of a WBC world lightweight title clash last June. Now he believes the same fate awaits the naturally aggressive Hatton unless the 30-year-old Briton boxes clever at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"Tell Hatton not to do what most of us do," said the American. "Tell him to try and make it into a boxing match. The way I fought Pacquiao was a mistake. The first couple of rounds, I thought I was okay. I figured he'd start to wilt and we'd wear him down.

"But by about the fourth round, I was asking my corner what to do about his speed. I couldn't get my timing against it. He just was never there to hit. I thought I could take his punches, and the plan was to wade in and bring it to him. But it just didn't work that way.

"Pacquiao's speed, I'm not going to lie, it's the best I've ever seen. If he gets past Hatton, and I believe he will, he could be one of the best ever."

Hatton insisted his pressure-them style has matured under new trainer Floyd Mayweather Snr, who was taken on board following an unimpressive comeback, against Juan Lazcano, from a sole career defeat inflicted by Mayweather's son, Floyd Jnr, in 2007.

The former world welter and light-welterweight champion did, indeed, look reasonably good in his first contest with Mayweather in his corner which resulted in an 11th round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi in the same MGM ring five months ago.

Hatton said: "Everyone's billing this fight against Pacquiao as power versus speed like they did with the Malignaggi fight. But that backfired on everyone because I think I out-boxed Paulie in the end.

"I showed good hand speed and I'm even quicker now. That was after just seven weeks with my new team. Technically I'm boxing a lot better, I'm jabbing and moving a lot better."

Hatton admitted he realised his go-forward, brawling style was not going to cut it with the best boxers when he was "humbled" by Mayweather Jnr. The switch from long-time trainer Billy Graham to Mayweather Sr has, he maintained, paid dividends.

He said: "In years gone by I'd always shown in glimpses that I had a good jab and boxing ability. But in all my fights I thought I was just going to roll over every opponent.

"Obviously, when I fought Floyd Jnr, he humbled me and showed me that I'd better go back to basics. That fight showed me that you can't steamroll everyone."

Hatton fans drawn to the Mancunian because of his exciting aggression - 32 of his 45 wins have come inside the distance - can be assured their man has not entirely abandoned his special edge.

"Everybody thinks, because of my new trainer, that I've turned into this twinkled-toed jab-and-move boxer," said Hatton. "I haven't. I'm still aggressive, I'm still a body puncher, still as ferocious as ever. But, technically, I've peaked it here and there, jabbing more, moving more, setting my attacks up."

Ominously, Freddie Roach, the trainer of 30-year-old Pacquiao, is not convinced that a relatively old dog like Hatton can be taught new tricks. And he had a warning for the pretender to Pacquiao's title of the world's best boxer.

Roach said: "I'm not worried about Ricky Hatton at all, and I'm not worried about Mayweather at all. Because Mayweather, I think, will confuse Hatton.

"When Hatton gets hit and hurt he'll revert back to his old style, and that's what we'll take advantage of."