MANILA. Philippines ? Beat him to the ?perfect? punch.
With that tactic in mind, Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire defends his IBF/IBO flyweight titles against unbeaten Mexican big puncher Raul ?Cobra? Martinez today at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Filipino fighter is a slight favorite to beat the Mexican in what he says is his last fight in the 112-lb division.
Standing 5-foot-6, two inches taller than Martinez, Donaire has worked on his speed while training, hoping to unload the decisive blows ahead of his rival, who owns an immaculate 24-0 record.
Former WBC champion Brian Viloria tries to wrest the IBF light flyweight crown from Mexican Ulises Solis in the other half of the double world title fight card dubbed ?The Flash and the Furious.?
Solis, who has already beaten three Filipinos, is staking his 108-lb title for the ninth time against Filipino-Hawaiian Viloria, who is on the comeback trail after losing his title a year after winning it with a first-round knockout of Eric Ortiz in September 2005.
The four stars of the explosive program, which will begin at 8 a.m. to catch the pay-per-view prime time audience in the US, breezed through their morning weigh-ins yesterday.
Donaire, who knocked out the famous Vic Darchinyan two years ago in Connecticut to win the title, tipped the scales at 111.5 lbs during the weigh-in held at the Manila Hotel Centennial Ballroom.
Also a knockout winner in his last fight, Martinez came in just within the weight limit.
Viloria easily made the light flyweight standard while Solis, the conqueror of Filipinos Rodel Mayol, Bert Batawang and Donaire?s older brother Glenn, came in at 107.5.
Top Rank Promotions chief Bob Arum noted that the morning weigh-in and fight schedule today brought to mind the classic Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the Big Dome in 1973.
?It?s a little unusual to hold it in the morning. This coincides with prime time in the United States where the fight will be shown on pay-per-view,? said Arum, who is collaborating with Solar Sports in presenting the card.
The PPV buys reportedly cost $25 each, half of what Manny Pacquiao?s fights normally sell.
The top bout in the undercard pits Filipino Denver Cuello against Japan?s Hiroshi Matsumoto for the WBC International minimum weight title.
Sonny Boy Jaro will go up against Yukka Gejon in a 10-round special attraction.
After whipping Darchinyan in what Ring Magazine later awarded as the ?Knockout of the Year? and ?Upset of the Year,? Donaire defended his title by beating Luis Maldonado of Mexico in December 2007 and Moruti Mthlane of South Africa last November.
