AFTER Moruti Mthalane defended his International Boxing Federation flyweight crown last weekend with a fifth round stoppage over Filipino Johnreil Casimero in South Africa, Milan Melindo is hoping to be next fighter to face the African.
ALA Promotions will soon be talking with the IBF and Mthalane?s promoter Branco Milenkovic to come up with a deal for Melindo to challenge for his world title here in the Philippines.
ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer hopes the IBF will give his 23-year-old unbeaten ward the mandatory challenger status because nobody has agreed to face Melindo in a title eliminator. Melindo is rated No. 3 in the IBF, with the top two slots vacant.
Aldeguer is also hopeful that he will come up with an agreement with Melinkovic, who is the top promoter in South Africa, in the next few weeks to bring the fight here in the country.
?It will take a lot of money to bring the fight here because he (Milenkovic) is a big- time promoter. South Africa has been holding world title fights and they even brought Steve Molitor there who is a big name in Canada. The Philippines is still getting there, taking baby steps,? Aldeguer said in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu.
However, if Melinkovic insists on holding the fight in South Africa, ALA Promotions will just look for another fighter for Melindo.
Right time
?If it doesn?t come this year, then we?ll wait for the right time. We are in no rush,? said Aldeguer. ?We?re not open to that. We want to make the fight here. Fighting in South Africa is not a priority. There is no point in Milan going to South Africa and fight,?
One of the reasons Aldeguer doesn?t want Melindo to fight in South Africa is ALA Promotions? goal to bring world-class boxing bouts in the Philippines, which the Cebu-based promotional company is doing with its ?Pinoy Pride? boxing series.
Mthalane has only fought outside of South Arica once, against Filipino superstar Nonito Donaire Jr. in Las Vegas in 2008.
