Donaire aiming to KO foe

MANILA, Philippines - Nonito Donaire declined to predict how his fight against Ukraine’s Wladimir Sidorenko will end at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, this morning (Manila time) but promised to go for a knockout inside five rounds “if I see the opening.”

Donaire, 28, and Sidorenko, 34, will dispute the vacant WBA interim bantamweight crown in a 12-round bout. If he wins, Donaire will take on WBC and WBO 118-pound champion Fernando Montiel of Mexico on Feb. 19.

“I’m in the best shape of my career,” said Donaire in an overseas phone call from Anaheim yesterday. “I feel stronger and more comfortable now at 118 than when I fought at 115. It’s the first time I’ve sparred 12-rounders and I did it five times. At the start, I was just training myself as Jonathan (Peñalosa) arrived late from Manila and Robert (Garcia) joined me only after the (Antonio) Margarito fight. But Robert was amazed at my condition when he got to the gym. He didn’t expect me to be this fit. It’s all about hard work and discipline. I’ve been pushing myself. I’m well-prepared for this fight. I’m highly motivated. I’m ready to beat this guy.”

Donaire said he’s not looking past Sidorenko, a Sydney Olympic bronze medalist who held the WBA bantamweight crown from 2005 to 2008. “He can definitely take a punch,” added Donaire. “He’s a pressure fighter with good defense. His hands are up high all the time. I expect him to come in. I’m sure he’ll try to overpower and outmaneuver me. My plan is to impose my style, regardless of what he does. I won’t allow him to dictate.”

Donaire said being ranked No. 4 by the Ring Magazine in the world pound-for-pound ladder is an honor but he’s not letting it get into his head. “Of course, I don’t ignore it but I just put it in the back of my head,” he said. “I want to perform, to prove myself, no matter what the ratings say. I’m motivated to be the best I can be.”

In The Ring pound-for-pound honor roll, only Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez, in that order, are rated higher than Donaire. But The Ring mentioned that Sidorenko will be a big test for Donaire, describing the Ukrainian as “a welcome step-up if not a huge one.”

Donaire said promoter Fernando Beltran has arranged for his duel with Montiel in a Feb. 19 HBO card but that’s contingent on a win over Sidorenko and the Mexican defeating countryman Eduardo Garcia, as expected, in a non-title tune-up on Dec. 11.

Donaire said he would’ve agreed to participate in a proposed Super Six bantamweight tournament involving Vic Darchinyan of Australia, Joseph Agbeko of Ghana, Abner Mares of Mexico, Yohnny Perez of Colombia and Montiel but Top Rank decided otherwise.

“That was the original plan, to do a Super Six but Top Rank decided to set the fight between Montiel and me without going through the others,” said Donaire. “Down the road, I can see fighting guys like Agbeko, Mares, Perez and even Darchinyan again. That would be fun. But right now, I’m focused on Sidorenko. Then, it’s Montiel.”

Donaire said after the fight against Sidorenko, he plans to fly to Manila next weekend. He’ll stay only a week and possibly take a quick trip to Tokyo before heading back to the salt mines in California. “It won’t be a long break for me after Sidorenko,” he said. “I”ll be back training right away for Montiel. I’ll be working in the gym through the holidays.”

In yesterday’s weigh-in, Donaire tipped the scales at 118 pounds and Sidorenko, 117.6.

“This is something new for me fighting as a bantamweight,” said Donaire. “Sidorenko is up there among the quality fighters. I know I have to be at my best to beat Sidorenko. This is what I’ve been waiting for – the chance to fight the best.”

Sidorenko has never been knocked out in compiling a 22-2-2 record, with seven KOs. His two losses were to WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno of Panama and his two draws were with another Panamanian Ricardo Cordoba.

Curiously, both Moreno and Cordoba are southpaws. Donaire is a known switch-hitter so it’s likely he will try to confuse Sidorenko by alternating southpaw and orthodox.

Donaire has won seven of his last eight bouts by knockout and hasn’t lost since dropping a decision to Rosendo Sanchez in his second pro outing in 2001. His record is 24-1, with 16 KOs. The fight will be Sidorenko’s first in the US.