Sabillo eyes Dubai for next title defense

MANILA, Philippines - If things fall into place, Merlito Sabillo will fly to Dubai in the Middle East in October for the second defense of his WBO minimumweight title.

Sabillo kept the crown by stopping his skinny challenger from Colombia – Jorle Estrada – with a vicious body blow in the 1:09 mark of the ninth round Saturday night.

The crowd that packed the grand ballroom of the glamorous Solaire Resort and Casino celebrated as Estrada was down on the floor, leaning on the ropes, grimacing in pain.

Sabillo knew it was over even before referee Raul Caiz Jr. reached the count of 10.

“I really wanted to knock him out,” said Sabillo, one of only three remaining Filipino boxing champions, told the crowd in Filipino.

“But it took me some time because he moved a lot. I went to the body because that’s what my corner told me. We waited for the right timing,” he added.

The right time came in the 1:09 mark of the ninth round when Sabillo landed a left uppercut to the side of Estrada’s dented body.

Estrada never had a chance against Sabillo, hardly throwing or landing punches and spending more time trying to stay away from the Filipino’s reach.

From the opening bell, it was just a matter of time before Sabillo, now undefeated in 23 fights, scored the knockout. Estrada took his fourth knockout loss and dropped to 17-7.

For defending the title he won just four months ago, Sabillo is looking at bigger things ahead, and that includes a possible title defense in Dubai.

“He may fight in October on our first event in the Middle East probably in Dubai. No opponent yet but could be anyone in the top 10,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told The STAR.

That will be for Pinoy Pride 23 because ALA is still lining up Donnie Nietes’ defense of his WBO junior-flyweight crown for Pinoy Pride 22.

Dennis Canete, vice president of ALA, said from the Middle East, they are also looking to stage a fight in California in the very near future.

Earlier, King Arthur Villanueva was crowned the new WBO Asia-Pacific super-flyweight champion following a four-round stoppage of Mexico’s Arturo Badillo.

The other featured bouts saw AJ “Bazooka” Banal get back on track when his Mexican opponent, Abraham Gomez, quit on his stool after two rounds of their junior-feather contest while Prince Albert Pagara was as impressive in a second-round knockout of Thailand’s Khunkhiri Wisaruth in their 122 lb contest.