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Nonito Donaire Jr. is confident of beating Naoya Inoue in their upcoming rematch to avenge his loss in the 2019 Fight of the Year.
Inoue’s WBA and IBF bantamweight titles and Donaire’s WBC belt will all be on the line when they meet once again on June 7, 2022.
‘The Filipino Flash’ and ‘The Monster’ engaged in a ferocious encounter three years ago, which the Japanese superstar won via unanimous decision. Their much-awaited sequel will be held at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, the same venue of their 2019 slugfest.
This time, the 39-year-old Donaire is looking for a different result. In an interview with Fight Hub TV, he said:
“The fight is on June 7th in Japan, in Saitama. They’re calling it ‘Drama in Saitama 2’ — the same place, the same location, but different results.”
Since falling short against Inoue, Donaire has since scored two impressive wins via stoppages. This includes a successful defense of his WBC belt against compatriot Raymart Gaballo in December.
Meanwhile, Inoue is coming off an eighth-round TKO victory over Thai challenger Aran Dipaen.
Despite being the underdog in the rematch, Donaire is brimming with optimism that he will be able to pull off a stunner in their second meeting. He said:
“My talent, my speed, my power, and most of all just the strategy that I’m putting in is going to be the biggest asset in winning this fight.”
Nonito Donaire talks Canelo vs Bivol
The Filipino legend also shared his thoughts about the upcoming fight between pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol.
Donaire, who holds the record of being the oldest world champion at 118 pounds, believes Bivol is no walk in the park. He said:
“I think Bivol is the taller guy, he’s definitely the taller guy, using that reach, like — you have those type of fighters in the amateurs, they know how to use the distance, and if he does use that jab properly and uses distance properly, it’s gonna be a hell of a night for Canelo. But Canelo, when he gets in there with his head movement, that’s when he can use his power and I think it’s gonna be an amazing fight.”
Watch Nonito Donaire's full interview with Fight Hub TV below:
