Five-division world champion and former WBA (Super) Featherweight champion Nonito Donaire is now on the final phase of his training for his non-title fight against Anthony Settoul of France but it seems his mind is focused more on his next title fight
Donaire (34-3-0, 22 KOs) is coming off a TKO victory against William Prado and will clash with Settoul at the Venetian Resort & Casino in Macau, China on July 18 for a 12-round non-title fight. The 32-year-old Filipino-American had a 29-fight winning streak when he lost to Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2013, his second in his pro career. After his loss to Rigondeaux, Donaire made a quick turnaround with two straight technical victories before losing for the third time in his career against Nicholas Walters of Jamaica last year. Donaire’s last two defeats is traceable to his weight limit experiment. For many years, Donaire fought in the bantamweight limit where he reigns supreme over most of his opponents. His decision to move up to featherweight led to his most devastating career loss against Walters. In the short term, the former five-division world titlist could still be the next Filipino boxing attraction when Pacquiao retires in a year or two. But it could only happen if he stays in the weight class that works best with his body. A win against Settoul could give Donaire another opportunity for a major world title fight, which could trigger a series of victories in the weight class where he is unbeatable. But first, he needs to focus on his next fight which is happening next Saturday. Donaire has talked about a title fight ahead of his fight against Settoul, saying he is very excited about a planned title fight against Scott Quigg, who is likewise fighting on the same day of his fight. Quigg is the reigning WBA Regular Super Bantamweight titleholder.
