Confident Sabillo to defend WBO title

MANILA, Philippines - Merlito Sabillo yesterday said he plans to get off to a cautious start when he defends his WBO minimumweight title against Colombia’s Jorle Estrada tonight at the Solaire Resort and Casino.

He said he won’t rush things and would rather try to feel the action in the early rounds because he’s not too sure how Estrada would fight.

“Titingnan ko muna ang galaw niya (I will see first how he moves),” said Sabillo, adding that the only knowledge he has of his opponent came through videotape or the Internet.

“Minsan kasi ang galaw sa video iba na sa laban (There are times what you see in video is different from actual fight),” said Sabillo, fully aware that Estrada wants to knock him out inside seven rounds.

Sabillo said he lost count on the number of rounds of sparring as he trained for his fight.

“Hindi ko mabilang (I lost count),” said the 29-year-old Filipino who was declared WBO minimumweight champion last April. The title was vacated by Mexico’s Moises Fuentes.

But Sabillo must have done everything he needed to do because he’s so confident of keeping the title against the Colombian even if it means going the distance.

“If there’s a chance to score a knockout I will go for it,” said Sabillo, one of only three remaining Filipino world champions, said in Filipino.

Sabillo tipped the scales yesterday noon at 104 lb, just a pound lighter than the minimumweight limit. Estrada looked so thin at 103 lb.

Sabillo, who knocked out Colombia’s Luis dela Rosa in the eighth round for the interim title last March, will headline tonight’s Pinoy Pride XXI at Soilare.

King Arthur Villanueva will dispute the WBO Asia Pacific super-flyweight title against Mexico’s Arturo Badillo while former world title contender AJ Banal faces another Mexican, Abraham Gomez.

Villanueva weighed in at 114 lb while Badillo must have enjoyed the hotel food that he tipped the scales one pound over the limit of 115 lb.

Badillo needed some time to shed off the extra pound and came back at 115 flat.

Banal, who was knocked out by Thailand’s Pungluang Sor Singyu in their WBO bantamweight title clash at the Mall of Asia Arena last October, is eager to make a comeback.

“I was saddened by my last fight. I got hit real hard,” said Banal in Filipino.

“But I’m not worried about this fight. I will try my best to come back. That’s why I trained hard for this fight,” said Banal who like Gomez tipped the scales at an even 122 lb.