NIETES WARNS THAI: I STILL FEEL YOUNG
I don’t mind him calling me old because I feel very young right now. DONNIE NIETES Two-division world champion
Two-division world champion Nietes says he gets better with age 27-year-old Nantapech says youth is his advantage in title fight Nantapech has lost twice, once by knockout, in previous fights in PHL
Age definitely won’t be a factor for Donnie Nietes when he guns for his third division world title this Saturday night.
At 34 years old, Nietes has never felt any better in his life and he believes that he’s in better form right now compared to his youthful self.
“It shows in my age that I’m old but I feel young. I’m just like fine wine, I get better as I age,” Nietes said.
Nietes is fighting 27-year-old Thai Komgrich Nantapech for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight title in the main event of Pinoy Pride 40 - Domination at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino.
Nantapech, rated No. 4 in the IBF, said that Nietes is already old and that his youth will be his advantage over the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight and minimumweight champion.
“I don’t mind him calling me old because I feel very young right now,” said Nietes with a smile. “I have trained for a 12-round fight. But if there is a chance of a knockout then I will knock him out. I feel stronger than ever.”
Nietes’ best years in boxing is in his 30s. After turning 30 in 2012, Nietes has racked up 10 wins and a draw, six of those wins didn’t go the distance. He also beat some elite champions in his 30s, the likes of Moises Fuentes, Francisco Rodriguez, Raul Garia and Edgar Sosa.
Nietes is 39-1-4 with 22 knockouts, while Nantapech is 22-3 with 15 knockouts.
Young unbeaten prospect Mark Magsayo (15-0, 11 KOs) and knockout artist Jeo Santisima (12-2, 11 KOs) are also featured in the show in a couple of 10-round fights.
Magsayo faces off with Tanzanian Issa Nampepeche (24-7, 11 KOs), while Santisima locks horns with 37-year-old Indonesian pug Master Suro (11-8, 2 Kos).
In the undercard, Virgel Vitor (9-1, 6 KOs) slugs it out with Michael Escobia (11-14-1, 3 KOs), Junrel Jimenez (6-1, 3 KOs) is up against Romulo Ramayan (7-10-3, 3 KOs), Kenneth Gentallan (5-0, 3 KOs) trades leathers with John Keenan Villaflor (6-2-2, 2 KOs), 18-year-old Esneth Domingo (50, 4 KOs) squares off with Ramil Antaran (2-4-1) and Christian Bacolod (6-0, 5 KOs) faces off with Mike Kinaadman (5-1-2, 4 KOs).