MANILA, Philippines - Nonito Donaire Jr. isn’t leaving anything to chance and will be ready for whatever eventuality when he faces WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel of Mexico in a scheduled 12-round bout that he predicts won’t go the distance at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas this Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila).
Both Donaire and Montiel are now in Las Vegas tapering off in their final stage of training before Friday’s weigh-in. It will only be Donaire’s second fight as a bantamweight while Montiel is seeing action in his eighth match in the 118-pound division.
Montiel, who turns 32 on March 1, has experience on his side with a 44-2-2 record compared to Donaire’s 25-1 mark. The Mexican has logged 22 more fights than Donaire. The Filipino Flash had just turned 14 when Montiel made his pro debut in 1996, five years before Donaire broke into the ranks.
But Donaire said experience won’t be a telling factor in the fight.
“Experience has nothing to do with it,” said Donaire in a recent overseas phone call. “It’s something you can neutralize by fighting smart and working hard to preserve your stamina. Boxing is about styles and I plan to impose my style on his. I’ve been working very hard in the gym to prepare for this fight. This is what I’ve been looking forward to. Montiel has two belts I want and I’m ready to get them.”
Both Montiel and Donaire are convinced that the fight will end in a knockout. The Mexican has a higher knockout rate than Donaire. Montiel has disposed of 34 of his 44 victims via the short route or a 77.3 percent rate while Donaire has stopped 17 of his 25 victims or a 68 percent rate. Montiel has halted his last four opponents and Donaire, his last three. Of Montiel’s 34 knockout victories, 20 came inside three rounds, including seven in the opening stanza. Nine of Donaire’s 17 knockout wins were within three rounds with six in the first canto.
Montiel gained some notoriety after an opponent Pedro Alcazar died of a brain injury two days from losing by knockout in Las Vegas in 2002. He has been floored twice – by Jose Lopez and Filipino Roy Doliguez – but got up to beat them. Lopez decked Montiel in the ninth round and lost a 12-round decision in a WBO flyweight championship match in Reno in 2001. Doliguez knocked down Montiel in the first round then was stopped in the second in a WBO superflyweight title bout in Los Mochis in 2003.
The fighters have faced two common opponents – Luis Maldonado and Rafael Concepcion. Montiel took out Maldonado in three while Donaire did it in eight. Montiel stopped Concepcion in three with the fighters weighing in at 118 pounds each but Donaire went the 12-round distance with the Panamanian who was 4 1/2 pounds heavier.
Donaire said he expects Montiel to launch a furious body attack and use his strength in trying to slow him down.
“Montiel will be aggressive which is how I want it,” said Donaire. “He’ll come forward and engage. I’ll counter just like I did in the (Vic) Darchinyan fight. If Montiel decides to box from a distance, I’m ready for that, too. If Montiel thinks he can win by boxing me, I’ll beat him up for sure. I’ll do what it takes to win his belts.”
Donaire said he’ll give Montiel a different look. “I learned a lot from the Darchinyan and (Vladimir) Sidorenko fights,” he said. “I’ll be unpredictable. I’ll do things Montiel hasn’t seen before. I’m putting it all together.”
Donaire said part of his motivation is to avenge the losses that Montiel has inflicted on Filipino victims Z Gorres, Doliguez and Ciso Morales. Montiel knocked out Doliguez in 2003, beat Gorres by split decision in 2007 and flattened Morales in a single round last year.
“That’s on my mind – to gain revenge,” said Donaire. “No Filipino has beaten Montiel. My mindset is just to go out there and win for our country. I’m proud to be Filipino and I want to give honor and glory to the flag. That’s my goal, to win another world title.”