Nonito Donaire, Jr. is scheduled to face Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue tonight at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan in a bantamweight unification title fight comprised of both World Boxing Association (WBA) super world bantamweight and International Boxing Federation world bantamweight belts.
Despite the Filipino fighter coming into the bout as the underdog, he said he has a game plan to stun his opponent.
“I am taller but height doesn’t matter—size doesn’t matter,” Donaire explained. “Ultimately it’s about the game plan and I believe I have the game plan to beat Inoue—my experience will carry me through.”
“I’m very excited, it’s a great honor to be fighting Inoue in Japan,” he added. “I have big respect for him [and] he looks ready but that’s what we expect.”
Meanwhile, Inoue expressed caution ahead of the face-off and acknowledged his opponent’s advantage.
“Nonito’s only advantage is his experience, he has been in many big fights,” the Japanese fighter stated. “He is taller and his reach is longer.”
“The only thing I need to do is making myself 100 percent and show everything that I have in the ring,” he added.
Donaire previously faced American boxer Stephon Young last April at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana in the United States. The two fought for the WBA super world bantamweight title with the Filipino fighter winning via knockout.
The Pinoy boxer enters the bout with a 40-5-0 win-loss-draw record, including 26 stoppage wins; while Inoue carries an untarnished 18-0-0 card with 16 knockout wins./ASC, WDJ