Nietes to defend WBO belt vs Mexican in Carson City

MANILA, Philippines - Donnie Nietes brings his act to the US for the first time as he slugs it out with Mexican Juan Alejo for the World Boxing Organization junior flyweight championship dubbed Pinoy Pride 33 on Oct. 17 at the StubHub Center in Carson City, California.

Nietes, 33, outpointed another Mexican Francisco Rodriguez, Jr. in their 12-round bout in Cebu last July to retain the WBO and The Ring light flyweight titles in the main event of Pinoy Pride 33.

The Murcia, Negros Occidental native, who owns a 36-1-4 (win-loss-draw) record, including 21 knockouts, will be taking on a fighter rated No. 8 in their division who also boasts of a 21-fight winning streak in a six-year stretch.

But Nietes, unbeaten in eight years and the longest reigning Filipino world champion, is confident of adding Alejo to his list of victims.

“I’ve seen how he fights in Youtube, he’s a counter-puncher. I can deal with that,” said Nietes.

Other Filipino fighters vying in the US fight card, presented by TFC, ALA International and ABS-CBN Sports and Action, are “Prince” Albert Pagara, Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo and Jayson “El Niño” Pagara.

The Pagara brothers and Magsayo are scheduled to fly to the US on Sunday and will proceed straight to the Wild Card gym to train under Freddie Roach.

Nietes, meanwhile, is still trying to obtain his working visa and will join the team in the middle of the month where he is scheduled to spar with Brian Viloria, who is also set to fight in a different card in New York also next month.

“Yes, I will spar with Brian,” Nietes said.

Nietes considers his upcoming US bout as the most important fight of his career, this being his first time to fight abroad.

“I’ve trained in the US for several years but I never really got to fight there. So it will be important for me because the world will finally get to know how I really fight,” said Nietes.