JONAS Sultan is slowly adjusting to the time zone and acclimatizing to the weather in California while still a few weeks away from the biggest fight of his life.
A first-timer in the US and also outside his native Philippines, Jonas Sultan went to the US early, about three weeks before his May 26 date with International Boxing Federation (IBF) Super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas at the Selland Arena in Fresno.
?Coming here early has been a huge help for Jonas because it?s his first time fighting here,? ALA Gym coach Edmund Villamor told SunStar Cebu. ?His sleep isn?t normal yet but I think he?ll be able to adjust within the week.? The 26-year-old Sultan has started his training in the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and has already sparred four rounds against an amateur champion, according to Villamor.
Three-division world champion Donnie Nietes is also with Sultan training for his World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight title fight with Aston Palicte in another all-Filipino world title fight.
?We also wanted to be here early to put pressure on the Ancajas camp,? said Villamor.
According to Villamor, Ancajas is not yet in the US and is set to arrive there next week.
?Our focus right now is on how Ancajas fights. We have been studying him,? said Villamor.
Sultan earned a crack at Ancajas after an upset unanimous decision win over two-division world champion Johnriel Casimero last year in a title eliminator.
This will be the first time that two Filipinos will be up against each other in a world championship fight in 93 years. The last time that two Filipinos fought against each other in a world title bout was when the legendary Pancho Villa defended his World flyweight belt against Clever Sencio in 1925 in Manila.
Sultan, a huge underdog, is 14-3 with nine knockouts, while Ancajas is 29-1-1 with 20 knockouts. (EKA)
