One explosive fight is set to detonate on February 19, Saturday, with two of the best and among the top 10 pound for pound fighters in boxing today. The first Las Vegas world title of 2011 will feature Mexican WBC Bantanweight Champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel defending his title against two-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire. The latest Philippines-Mexico rivalry will be held on Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on Saturday February 19. It is promoted by Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions. The Donaire-Montiel fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark starting 9:45 pm ET/PT. The event will open up with NABO/NABA/WBC Continental Americas welterweight champ Mike Jones defending his titles against top contender Jesus Soto-Karass in a rematch of their battle which took place on last year under the Pacquiao-Margarito fight.
MGM booking reports a Donaire betting favorite with Donaire at -220 over Montiel who is +180. Tickets remaining are priced at $250, $125, $50 and $25, exclusive of applicable service charges and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations. To reserve and charge by phone thru major credit cards, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Reservations can also be made online at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Bob Arum, Hall of Fame promoter and Top Rank CEO said "Eighteen years ago I promoted a fight with two 108-pound world champions which was one of the greatest events I ever promoted — Michael Carbajal vs. Humberto Gonzalez at the Las Vegas Hilton. It proved to everyone that dynamite can come in all size of packages.Montiel vs. Donaire at Mandalay Bay on February 19 will feature a matchup between two hard-punching bantamweights that is every bit as explosive as Carbajal-Gonzalez. It’s a can’t- miss fight and the fans will be assured of seeing a dynamite event."
“Fernando Montiel is the best fighter I have ever faced and certainly the toughest challenge of my professional career. It’s going to be a battle of strength and will. I’m leaving nothing to chance in training and when the final bell rings on February 19, the Philippines will have another mark in the victory column against Mexico.”Nonito Donaire spoke about the upcoming fight.
“It is a very important fight for me and a great opportunity to prove that I am one of the best fighters in the world. I expect a tough fight, but I also expect to win” said Montiel.
Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs), from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is among the four mexican fighters to win world titles in three different weight divisions, joining Hall of Famer-elect Julio César Chávez and future Hall of Fame inductees Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. Undefeated since 2006, eight of Montiel’s last ten victories (eight were world title fights) have been by stoppage.
Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs), hailing from the same city that gave us pound for pound king and 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, General Santos City, Philippines, now living in the Bay Area of San Leandro, California, is a consensus top-10 pound for pound fighter. He enters this fight riding a nine-year, 24-fight winning streak, including an IBF/IBO flyweight title knockout victory of defending champion Vic Darchinyan, and a fourth-round stoppage of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko in his last fight on December 4. Nine of Donaire’s last 10 victories have come by way of knockout.
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