By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipino boxing icon Nonito Donaire is set to make his long-awaited return to the ring on July 15, 2023, after a year-long hiatus. The World Boxing Council (WBC) has officially announced that Donaire will face Mexico’s Alexandro Santiago for the vacant bantamweight title. The fight will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada and will serve as a co-feature bout to the Frank Martin-Artem Harutyunyan lightweight clash presented by Showtime.
Initially, Jason Moloney was slated to be Donaire’s opponent, but the Australian boxer opted to pursue other opportunities for a different title. Moloney has hinted at a potential weight class change, although no specific updates have been released by his team.
Donaire, despite suffering a knockout loss to Naoya Inoue in June 2022, has expressed his determination to continue boxing and has no plans of retiring from the sport. The former two-belt bantamweight champion aims to prove that he is still a top contender in the division. Defeating the rising Mexican star, Santiago, will help reestablish Donaire’s position among the elite fighters in the 118-pound weight class.
