WBO super bantamweight world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire will face Mexican star Jorge Arce in Mexico City on Dec. 15, 2012 as Top Rank President Bob Arum is reported to be finalizing the deal on Monday.
Donaire arrived in Manila yesterday and was invited to be one of the TV commentators for Pinoy Pride XVII: WBO world bantamweight championship battle between AJ Banal of the Philippines and Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand.
Donaire (30W-1L, 19 KOs) successfully defended his WBO belt last week against Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan and was also awarded the Diamond Belt by the WBC for his 9th round TKO victory over the tough Japanese star.
The 29 year-old Donaire is also promoting his new Visayan film “Palad Ta Ang Nagbuot,” a remake of a 1969 film where Donaire’s role was originally played by the late boxing legend Gabriel “Flash” Elorde. Donaire co-stars with Gloria Sevilla and the movie is directed by Sevilla’s son Dandin Ranillo.
The 33 year-old Arce (61W-6L-2D, 46 KOs), who sports the moniker “Travieso’” which means mischievous, has held titles from light flyweight to super bantamweight. He was earlier quoted in various articles on the internet that he was not impressed with Donaire’s fighting style.