His first goal is to beat former International Boxing Organisation world lightweight champion Aldo Rios at the Newcastle Jockey Club "Glasshouse" tomorrow night for the vacant IBO Asia-Pacific junior welterweight belt.

That would allow Newcastle's former World Boxing Foundation welterweight champ to enjoy a planned trip to the US next month with Jeff Fenech.

Bennett said he would be a guest of Fenech's at the World's Greatest Ever Boxer fight night and dinner at the Paris Las Vegas Casino on December 12 and 13, and he hoped Fenech could arrange a meeting with Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach.

A 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto on Sunday allowed Pacquiao to make history by becoming the first man to win seven world titles in as many weight divisions, and reinforced his reputation as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

The Filipino southpaw is likely to fight undefeated Floyd Mayweather next year in what would be one of the most anticipated bouts in recent memory, and Bennett hopes to play his part.

"They're talking about fighting in April next year and Pacquiao's camp will be at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in LA, so getting to spar with him would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me," Bennett said.

"As a boxer the experience I would get from that, and the things I could learn from him and Freddie Roach, would be invaluable. I'm going to America with Fenech. That's when we're hoping to set up the chance to go back and spar with Pacquiao.

"The top 10 fighters from every weight class get nominated then the public vote on the best fighter, so Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, Larry Holmes, those sort of blokes will be there.

"A win on Saturday night is all I'm looking at right now, and that would put me in the right frame of mind to start lining things up with Pacquiao, then hopefully an IBO world title fight next year. But I don't get to fight unless I have a win, and Rios, talking through his translator, is really confident of a win.

"He fought Stevie Johnston for the WBC world lightweight title and narrowly lost, he's fought Ricky Hatton and some other really good fighters, and he thinks there's no way in the world that I'm in their class."