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Confident Donaire to face smart Montiel


Former world flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. considers reigning world bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel the smartest and most complete opponent he may ever face inside the ring. And yes, that includes the brash Vic Darchinyan. Still, the 28-year-old Filipino remains confident he'll be able to hurdle the Mexican fighter, holder of both the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) 118-lb title belts, in their February 19 fight at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. "I think Montiel will be the toughest guy I have ever faced," said Donaire in a conference call organized by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. "He knows what he's doing and he's been beating guys at the top of the weight class. I know that he's up there and is capable of anything. I think I've faced guys that are tougher and more relentless, but (I think) he's the best all around fighter that I'll ever face." Donaire sports a 25-1 (win-loss) card, with 17 knockouts. He has not lost since suffering a unanimous decision setback against Rosendo Sanchez in only his second professional career fight in 2001. The lanky 5-foot-6 Filipino from Talibon, Bohol, now based in San Leandro, California, also knocked out eight of his last nine opponents, and is looking to add his 31-year-old opponent from Sinaloa, Mexico to the list. "You have two guys on the main card who are willing to give everything and this fight will not last 12 rounds," Donaire stressed. "This is an all-or-nothing fight. This is a fight that nobody can miss." Road to prominence Donaire had a great amateur career that saw him almost making it to the 2000 U.S. Olympic boxing team, only to lose to fellow Filipino Brian Viloria in the box-off for the 48-kg slot. As a pro, he didn't really hit pay dirt until coming through with a stunning fifth round knockout of the then unbeaten Darchinyan to wrest the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight crown in a 12-round fight in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The bout was later adjudged as the 2007 Upset of the Year. But following that big win over Darchinyan, most of the contenders in the division avoided Donaire like a plague, keeping him from reaching full superstardom in the ring. Hopefully, a win over Montiel (44-2, 34 KOs) will start things all over again for the fighter known as the "Filipino Flash." "My marketability will skyrocket. My name will get bigger and I will get bigger fights," said Donaire. "People will come after me because that's what happens when you're on top. My name is in the top pound-for-pound list, and no one can take that away from me after I beat Montiel." Déjà vu Donaire said being the underdog against Montiel is like déjà vu for him, recalling the time he faced Darchinyan in 2007. "Nobody realized what I was capable of doing when I entered the Darchinyan fight. In a way it was great to prove them wrong. "I'm excited for this fight and I'm looking forward to it. It's like do or die, all or nothing and I'm ready to give everything I got," Donaire said. – JVP, KY, GMA News

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