Donaire back in PH, excited to fight before home crowd

Nonito Donaire Jr. File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — Five-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire arrived in Manila early Sunday morning for his upcoming bout against Brazilian William Prado on March 28 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Donaire will be making his return to the ring after suffering a sixth-round TKO loss to unbeaten Nicholas Walters last October, and there’s no better place to stage a comeback than before a hometown crowd.

“We’ve been wanting to fight in the Philippines for a long time,” Donaire told the Manila Mail, an affiliate of INQUIRER.net, in a recent interview.

The fight against Prado, who has a decent record of 22-4-1 with 15 knockouts, will be the 32-year-old Donaire’s first here in Manila since stopping Raul Martinez in the fourth round in 2009.

The Donaire-Prado fight for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight title is part of the undercard of Pinoy Pride 30, which is headlined by another Filipino in Donnie “Ahas” Nietes.

Nietes will stake his WBO light flyweight belt against Mexican Gilberto Parra in the main event.

The bout also marks the return of Donaire in the 122-pound division.

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