Donaire target ang WBC belt ni Santiago

MANILA, Philippines — Muling aakyat sa bo­xing ring si dating world four-division champion Nonito Donaire Jr. upang labanan si Alexandro Santiago ng Mexico para sa bakanteng World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight belt ngayon (Manila time) sa T-Mobile Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ang bakbakan nina Do­naire at Santiago ay nasa undercard ng title unification fight nina Americans Errol Spence Jr. at Terren­ce Crawford.

Hangad ng 40-anyos na tubong Talibon, Bohol na maging pinakamatandang bantamweight champion sa pagharap sa 27-anyos na Mexican fighter.

Huling lumaban si Do­naire noong Hunyo ng nakaraang taon kung saan siya natalo kay Japanese star Naoya Inoue via se­cond round knockout.

“This has been a bles­sing for me, an opportunity this big with a big fight with bigger crowds. I think this is what it made for, you know, for some reasons I’m just more energized,” ani Donaire.

Dadalhin ni Donaire sa ibabaw ng boxing ring ang kanyang 42-7-0 win-loss-draw ring record tampok ang 28 KOs habang bitbit ni Santiago ang 27-3-0 (14 KOs).

Gusto pa rin ni Donaire na maging isang unified champion sa bantamweight division at target na labanan sina World Boxing Association (WBA) titlist Takuma Inoue at World Bo­xing Organization (WBO) king Jason Moloney.