A new twist to Vic Darchinyan’s rivalry with Filipino fighters has emerged, with the Australian’s IBF super flyweight boxing world title eliminator with Z Gorres set to go ahead in the Philippines next February.
Darchinyan and Gorres, who will be the Australian’s fifth Filipino opponent in his last seven bouts, will fight for the IBF No.1 ranking and the right for a mandatory challenge to Russia’s IBF super flyweight champion Dimitri Kirilov. The eliminator was set to go to a purse bid, but Darchinyan’s manager Elias Nasser told AAP it had now been scheduled for February 2 at the Cebu City Sports Complex.
“We were going to go to purse bids and bid for it, but after discussions the money is a huge factor as well, and we were made a very good offer,” Nasser said.
He said Darchinyan’s IBO super flyweight world title will not be on the line against Gorres, who has lost just one of his last 16 fights over the last four years.
The defeat was a contentious split points loss to WBO super flyweight world champion Fernando Montiel in front of around 15,000 spectators at the Cebu City Sports Complex last February.
IBF fifth ranked Darchinyan 31 (29-1, 23 KOs) was excited at the prospect of fighting fellow southpaw and sixth rated Gorres 25 (27-2-1, 15 KOs) in the Philippines.
The Sydney-based boxer wanted to prove to fight fans there he was still a force, after losing his IBF and IBO flyweight world titles to Filipino Nonito Donaire in America back in July. “I’d love to fight there,” Darchinyan told AAP.
“I lost my title to a Filipino guy Donaire, I wanted to go and fight there.
“This guy I’m going to fight, they think he’s a better fighter than Donaire.
“I’m going to go and fight in the Philippines and show them I’m back and stronger.
“It’s a big challenge, that’s why I want to prove to everyone that what happened with my loss to Donaire, was just unlucky and he was lucky.
“I had lots of things in my head at the time, my baby was due at the same time I was in America, but my mind was in Australia at the time.
“That’s why I want to show them be careful, I’m coming back. “First Kirilov, then I want a rematch with Donaire.”
