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Filipino boxing superstar Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is going to fight once again inside the ring against a fellow champion.
Donaire is set to face the South African champion Jeffrey Mathebula on on July 7 in California for the 122-pound WBO-IBF title unification. Mathebula is the IBF super bantamweight champion.
Donaire is going to enter the ring as the smaller fighter with Mathebula standing at 5’10. Nonito stands at 5’7, but he said that he is ready for the challenge to win the belt.
“I’ve never been in this territory before where I’m fighting a guy who is taller than me.
He’s 5-foot-10 and is really taller than me, and I always fought opponents who were shorter than me so I need to change in every way,” said Donaire in an interview
Donaire holds a 28-1, 18 KOs fight record, while Mathebula has a 26-3-2, 14Kos.
Donaire trains in Los Angeles under Robert Garcia. He said that he is going to use his jab, get around the job and use lots of head and lateral movements in order to negate Mathebula’s height and reach advantage against him.
“I will be able to use a lot of my power, a lot of my speed than when I’m against a shorter fighter, where I have to be more of a boxer. This time, I can use my power against the taller guy,” Donaire said.
He said that he will be ready and will be in his best form comes fight night.
The Donaire vs Mathebula fight is going to be aired via satellite live by ABS-CBN on April 8, 2012, Sunday at 9 AM.
