San Mateo, California – WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire has a big fight coming up on July 7, 2012 against IBF champion Jeffrey “Marvelous Mongoose” Mathebula at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California to be televised on HBO’s Boxing After Dark. The showdown is the title unification Donaire has been wanting, and the first step in accomplishing his goal of unifying all the belts in the super bantamweight division. Mathebula, who stands 5’10”, poses a new set of challenges for Donaire, who is used to facing opponents shorter than him. The former Olympian from South Africa can box, and knows how to use his reach to his advantage efficiently.
In preparation for Mathebula, Donaire has returned to San Mateo for this fight after flirting with training in Las Vegas during his previous camp, and is training harder than ever. “This is the hardest I’ve trained. Mathebula is a tough opponent, and I’ve rededicated myself in camp. You’ll see a different Filipino Flash this time around,” Donaire told me.
Donaire has been sparring at the Undisputed Gym with taller and heavier opponents to get used to not only Mathebula’s size, but also push himself even further. Donaire has more than held his own, and taken shots from lightweights and super featherweights comfortably, and is happy with his camp thus far.
