WORLD Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes and former world title challenger Jimrex Jaca are used to fighting big boxing events. But this Saturday night, both world-class fighters will have a rare appearance in a small boxing event in Dumaguete City.
Nietes, who has been headlining world-class boxing events in big arenas here and abroad, is seeing action in a 10-round tune-up fight against unheralded Thai Danai Meendaeng at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.
This fight will keep the 29-year-old janitor-turned-world champion in shape for his mandatory title defense against Mexican Moises Fuentes in February, which is currently under negotiation.
Nietes is 30-1-3 with 16 knockouts, while Meendaeng has only one fight in his record, a unanimous decision loss to Filipino Chris Paulino last year in a World Boxing Council Youth Intercontinental flyweight title fight.
The 29-year-old Jaca, on the other hand, is trading leathers with Filipino Jaypee Ignacio in a 10-rounder.
Jaca, 35-6-3 with 20 knockouts, is coming off an impressive eighth round knockout over Mexican Angel Martinez last September. He is riding a seven-fight winning streak.
Ignacio is 8-14-2 with two knockouts and is coming off back-to-back losses to former amateur standout Adones Cabalquinto.
In the undercard, unbeaten Mark Vincent Bernaldez (7-0, 4 KOs) takes on tough journeyman JR Mendoza (8-12, 3 KOs); Crispin Parba (3-6, 2 KOs) locks horns with debut fighter Lyndon Castillo; hometown pug Steven Recaborda (0-2) is looking for his first career win against Marwin Cristota (1-7-1); and Ian Teves (1-1) slugs it out with Jayvee Galea (1-0-1).
