Nonito Donaire. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LOS ANGELES–Filipino champion Nonito Donaire, who has 10 knockouts in his last 13 fights, will put his WBO and IBF titles on the line when he faces Japan’s Toshiaki Nishioka on Saturday at the Home Depot Center outdoor stadium.
The 29-year-old Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs) enters the super bantamweight fight riding an 11-year, 28-bout winning streak which includes an impressive knockout victory last year over Fernando Montiel.
In February, Donaire captured the vacant WBO 122-pound title, winning a gritty split-decision battle over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez. Five months later, he added the IBF title with a unanimous decision over Jeffrey Mathebula.
Donaire has won his past three fights by decision and would like nothing more than a knockout against Nishioka.
Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs) is on a win streak of his own, having won 16 consecutive fights, dating back eight years.
The Japanese veteran from Tokyo successfully defended the WBC 122-pound title seven times between 2009 and 2011.
Nishioka has not lost by knockout since the second fight of his career in 1995 and has not lost at all since Thai star Veeraphol Sahaprom beat him in 2004.
Nishioka, 36, has not fought since last October’s undisputed decision over Mexico’s Rafael Marquez.