This coming Saturday at the Palenque De La Expo in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, Glenn Donaire will attempt to unseat reigning IBF Flyweight Champion Ulises Solis (26-1-2, 20 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. This weekend Donaire (17-3-1, 9 KOs) of San Leandro, California, who has long fought out of his natural weight class, gets his chance at a title against someone his size and the opportunity to make Filipino boxing history. Glenn is trained alongside his brother, IBF Flyweight Champion Nonito Donaire Jr, by his father Nonito Sr. Glenn took time out to speak to 15rounds.com, before leaving for Mexico on Monday.
Q: Your fight with Ulises Solis is less than one week away, how do you feel?
GD: I?m excited. I?m in the best shape of my life right now. I only weigh 110 right now, so I will have no problem making 108. My dad is joking about me dropping to 105, because I have had no problem at all. I?ve been able to eat regularly. I?m excited, so hopefully this fight will go through. It?s just one week and I can?t wait for it.
Q: How has training camp been?
GD: Camp was really good. My brother and I were sparring and he was simulating Solis? movement. But my brother is tall and faster. But Solis is a smart fighter, and this is going to be a good fight.
Q: You originally took the fight on two weeks notice with a May 17th date. Has the additional preparation time helped you?
GD: It really helped me a lot. Last time, two weeks before the fight, I was weighing 115. This time I am weighing only 110. I have been training really hard and had lots of sparring. Last time I didn?t have that much sparring, so I am glad he got sick. But it is going to be a good fight.
Q: Did Solis make a mistake by giving you additional time to prepare?
GD: After this fight, if I knock him out early, he is going to regret it.
Q: Do you feel his pullout was less about being sick and more because he was not prepared for a fighter of your caliber, especially considering he looked pretty healthy giving his brother instructions that same day?
GD: I heard that too. If he had pneumonia he wouldn?t have been out there. It doesn?t really matter. It was good for me. I had really good training. He is a fighter, he is a world champion. He was looking for someone he could knock out early. He probably saw some of my fights and said, ?Oh my gosh, he is not a pushover.?
Q: Are you at all worried about fighting a popular Mexican champion in Mexico?
GD: I fought guys, like Vic Darchinyan, even though I was only weighing 110. I have been fighting guys that were way bigger than I am, so I don?t care. I fought Gabriel Elizondo is his hometown, even though I was only 105 at that time and the fight was at 112. The thing I have is my heart. I go out there and perform.
Q: Are you at all concerned about the officiating or judging in Mexico?
GD: You can?t really have that in your mind. When I go out there, I am going to try and take him out early. I knocked out people at 112 and 115, so if I hit him hard I am going to knock him out. He is really not a great defensive fighter. He?s a counter puncher, but I think I hit harder. I saw him get rocked a couple times by a smaller guy. I have been fighting big guys.
Q: Was your bout with Jose Albuquerque in February enough to shed any ring rust from your long layoff?
GD: With me, I have been in the gym all of the time. In my opinion, you only get ring rust if you have been out of the gym. I have always been in the gym, working out, even though I didn?t have a fight scheduled. I just trained. That was a good fight too, and a good fight for me.
Q: In fighting Solis, you are finally getting a title shot at the weight class you wanted it at, but you are also fighting probably the top guy in the division. How important is it for you that you come out victorious?
GD: It is very important for me. I don?t care who I am fighting anyhow. He?s the best light flyweight right now. I fought the best flyweight at the time, Vic Darchinyan, without thinking twice. This is very important for me because I want my brother and I to become the first Filipino brothers to be world champions at the same time. The Penalosa brothers were both world champions, but they never held the titles at the same time. I want to get this for my dad. He trained my brother and I alone with no one?s help. This could bring recognition for my dad as well.
Q: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans in closing?
GD: This fight is going to be a good fight. I believe if Solis comes to fight, and doesn?t run, this is going to be a great fight. To all the people who have supported us, and not really supported us, thank you. Just wait, I?m going to get this title.
The Solis-Donaire title bout will air on Azteca America in the United States as the televised co-feature to the ten round light middleweight bout between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Matt Vanda.
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected]
