FORMER FOUR-DIVISION TITLEHOLDER NONITO DONAIRE GETS A SHOT AT ANOTHER BELT AGAINST 118-POUND CHAMP NORDINE OUBAALI ON SHOWTIME.
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NORDINE OUBAALI (17-0, 12 KOs)
vs. NONITO DONAIRE (40-6, 26 KOs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jCv_Dx1NI
- Date: Saturday, May 29
- Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.
- TV/Stream: Showtime
- Division: Bantamweight
- At stake: Oubaali’s WBC title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Oubaali 2½-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Subriel Matias vs. Batyrzhan Jukembayev, junior welterweights; Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Jovanie Santiago, junior welterweights
- Prediction: Donaire UD
- Background: Oubaali is the titleholder but Donaire is the story. The Filipino-American, a former four-division titleholder, is coming off an inspiring performance in a title-unification fight against titleholder Naoya Inoue in November 2019 in Japan. Donaire lost a unanimous decision and his 118-pound belt but pushed Inoue harder than anyone before him, which demonstrated that he had plenty left in the tank in his mid-30s. He hasn’t fought since. Now 38, Donaire could be getting his final title shot in a fight that was originally scheduled for this past December. Oubaali is a two-time Olympian from France who has polished skills and unusual quickness. He will be making his third defense of the title he won by outpointing Rau’shee Warren in January 2019. He then stopped Arthur Villanueva in six rounds and outpointed Takuma Inoue, the latter fight taking place on the Inoue-Donaire card. Oubaali isn’t a youngster, either. He’s 34.
[lawrence-related id=5731,2651,2501,2482,2450]