IBF flyweight champion Moruti ?Baby Face? Mthalane (26-2, 17 knockouts) has acknowledged that Filipino challenger Johnreil Casimero (14-1, 8 KOs) ?is a very good fighter? but the champion?s promoter Branco Milenkovic said Mthalane ?believes he will stop him in the later rounds?.
IBF flyweight champion Moruti ?Baby Face? Mthalane (26-2, 17 knockouts) has acknowledged that Filipino challenger Johnreil Casimero (14-1, 8 KOs) ?is a very good fighter? but the champion?s promoter Branco Milenkovic said Mthalane ?believes he will stop him in the later rounds?.
The well-known promoter told the Inquirer that Mthalane has been training since December as he was originally scheduled to defend his title in February. Milenkovic said he decided to postpone the scheduled fight and instead put on a big show on March 26, subsequently dubbed African Glory 2, featuring two IBF world title fights with Canada?s two-time champion Steve Molitor clashing with mandatory challenger Takalani Ndlovu in a junior featherweight title bout as the main event.
Milenkovic said Mthalane has been sparring with his former opponent and IBF challenger Zolani Tete and former Olympian Jackson Chauke and ?some very fast guys as Casimero is very mobile and has speed?.
Mthalane?s trainer Nick Durandt, expressed confidence the title will remain in South Africa telling the media: ?He (Casimero) doesn?t have what it takes to beat my little Zulu (Mthalane) over here,? said Durandt.
Mthalane won the title by beating Julio Cesar ?Pingo? Miranda, the current WBO champion in a twelve round unanimous decision in 2009 and then defended the title successfully with a fifth round TKO over countryman Zolani Tete early last year.
The little South African is remembered for giving newly crowned WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire some problems before the referee called a halt in the sixth round after Mthalane was badly cut and bleeding in their IBF/IBO title fight in 2008.
Milenkovic claimed that Mthalane was ?very unfortunate against Donaire to lose on cuts in round six after doing very well in rounds four, five and six,? the promoter said. ?We all know how good Nonito is and this should give the boxing world an idea of how good Moruti is?.
