Donnie Nietes will vacate the WBO super flyweight title to pursue other opportunities, the veteran fighter announced in a letter addressed to the WBO.
“It took me a long time to think about this very difficult decision but I feel that every fight for me at this stage of my career is crucial for my future,” Nietes said in the statement. “I have been long dreaming of having a career defining fight and there’s not much time for me in the sport after 37 years old.”
Nietes and the WBO have a longstanding relationship that started in 2006 when he won his first regional belt — the WBO’s Asia Pacific minimum weight title. He defended this title twice before claiming the WBO World title at 105 pounds in 2007 against Pornsawan Porpramool of Thailand.
He defended this title four times until 2010 when he moved up to 108 pounds and won the WBO light flyweight title with a victory against Ramos Garcia Hirales. Nietes held onto the titles between 2011 and 2016, successfully defending his belt nine times in that span before making the jump to the flyweight division. In the process, Nietes became the longest reigning world champion in Philippine boxing history.
The WBO Inter-Continental flyweight title was next for Nietes, which he claimed with a decision victory against Edgar Sosa. He had a brief break with the WBO when he claimed the IBF flyweight title in 2017.
It wouldn’t take long before Nietes was fighting for a WBO belt again as he faced off with fellow Filipino Aston Palicte for the super flyweight crown. The fight ended with a contentious draw, a result that which many disagreed with as they felt Nietes was the rightful victor.
Nietes was given another chance for the same belt as he defeated Zakuto Ioka of Japan to become the country’s third four-division world champion after Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire.
A rematch against Palicte was supposed to be next in the schedule for Nietes but he ultimately decided it would be best for his career to chase a bigger fight even if it meant losing his WBO title.
Nietes may be looking for fights against other big names at 115 pounds in order to add to his legacy.
IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas could be an option but he has a fight scheduled against Ryuichi Funai of Japan. The other champions are WBC’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and WBA’s Khalid Yafai. A big move for Nietes could be jumping up to the bantamweight division and chasing boxers such as Donaire and Naoya Inoue who hold the super and regular versions of the WBA 118-pound title.
“Hopefully in the future, I can be given a chance to become a WBO World Champion again before I retire,” Nietes closed.
