LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- For the last 2 months, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire has been spending his time at a local gym in Las Vegas as he prepares to take on another match after his victory against Ruben Hernandez last September at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas.
Donaire will slug it out with former world champion Carl Frampton in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on April 21. This will be Donaire’s first time to fight in Europe.
“Handang handa na kami actually, last 10 rounds ‘yung sparring,” he said. “Andoon 'yung focus. Alam ko na makakaya ko siya.”
“There’s a sense of danger going into the opponent's territory. Of course, he's a hometown favorite, he is gonna have the entire crowd behind him. You don't know if things happen, the hometown could sway the judges. So we are going there and be definitive,” his wife Rachel noted.
Although Belfast is Frampton's turf, Donaire is confident that Filipinos in the UK and Ireland will support him since there is an abundance of Filipino overseas contract workers in Belfast.
“I am more excited into this fight. That’s why in training, I feel I’m a lot faster and I’m a lot stronger. I’m actually a lot bigger than before that’s why I’ll be ready,” said Donaire.
The 30-year-old Frampton has a boxing record of 24 wins and 1 loss, while 35-year-old Donaire sports a record of 38 wins and 4 losses.
