Top-Five pound-for pound fighter and four-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and undefeated former world lightweight champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios will headline a spectacular all-action doubleheader, Saturday, July 7, under the stars at The Home Depot Center, in Carson, Calif.
Donaire, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight champion, will rumble with International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Jeffrey “Marvelous Mongoose” Mathebula in a world title unification fight to determine the division’s top dog. Rios, in search of more worlds to conquer, will battle steel-fisted Top-10 contender Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera, in a 10-round junior welterweight bout for Southern California bragging rights. The fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Combined, these four warriors boast a combined record of 102-6-3 (60 KOs) – a winning percentage of 92%.
“The event at the Home Depot Center has two very good fights. Nonito Donaire, the 122-pound world champion, will take on the IBF champion, Jeffrey Mathebula from South Africa. In the other battle, Brandon Rios of Oxnard, California, will take on Mauricio Herrera of Riverside, California, in what should be a non-stop action fight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.
Donaire (28-1, 18 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in the Bay Area of San Leandro, Calif., is a consensus top-five pound-for-pound fighter. He enters this fight riding an 11-year, 27-bout winning streak, which includes an IBF/IBO flyweight title knockout victory of defending champion Vic Darchinyan, and a fourth-round blasting of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko, December 4, 2010.
However, Donaire’s most impressive victory occurred on February 19, 2011, when he knocked out defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel in the second round, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak while also claiming his third world title in as many weight divisions. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year. Ten of Donaire’s last 12 victories have come by way of knockout.
He successfully defended his World Bantamweight Championship last year by blitzing undefeated Omar Narvaez, winning virtually every round en route to a unanimous decision victory. In his last fight, which took place February 4, Donaire captured the vacant WBO 122-pound title, winning a gritty split-decision battle over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr.
Mathebula (26-3-2, 14 KOs), of Johannesburg, South Africa, returns to the ring on the heels of his biggest victory where he captured the IBF junior featherweight title by dethroning defending champion Takalani Ndlovu on March 24. The split decision victory was sweet revenge for the split decision loss he suffered in a title elimination bout to his fellow countryman in 2010. Nearly six-feet tall, Mathebula has proven to be a formidable opponent in the junior featherweight division. Mathebula’s resume boasts title elimination bout victories over Julio Zarate and Oscar Chauke. A 2000 Olympian, Mathebula built an outstanding amateur record of 101-4 before making his professional debut in 2001.
Rios (30-0-1, 22 KOs), the former World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion, from Oxnard, Calif., is on the hunt for his second world title in as many weight divisions. He enters this fight having won 10 of his previous 12 fights by knockout. One of boxing’s most exciting fighters, Rios is known for his an all-action fan-friendly fighting style.
His trainer, former IBF junior lightweight champion Robert Garcia, calls it a “throwback” style with a warrior’s mentality that screams excitement. Highlight knockout victories on Rios’ resume include Miguel Acosta, Anthony Peterson, Urbano Antillon and John Murray. He returns to the ring after winning a tough split decision over WBA interim lightweight champion Richard Abril on April 14.
Herrrera (18-2, 7 KOs), of Riverside, Calif., enters this fight having won five of his last six bouts, highlighted by victories over Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0) and Mike Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1). His two-year winning streak was snapped in April when he came up short, losing a decision to undefeated No. 1 contender Mike Alvarado — a Fight of the Year candidate. It was bombs away early and often proving that Herrera has the chin and the skills to compete at a world-class level. Herrera is currently world-rated No. 8 by the IBF.
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets for The Home Depot Center’s Donaire / Rios World Championship fight card go on sale Tomorrow! Saturday, June 2, at 10 a.m. PT. Priced at $100, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased online at AXS.com or by phone at 888-929-7849 as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Suites are available by calling 1-877-604-8777. For information of group discounts, please call 1-877-234-8425.
