40-Year-Old “Future Hall of Famer” Nonito Donaire Wins The Hearts of Fans Despite Losing The Fight

The undercards are in! The biggest night in the boxing world is currently underway in Las Vegas. Terence Crawford is going against Errol Spence Jr. in the welterweight division. The ultimate unification of all four titles in the division will be historic as the much-awaited bout takes its course. Ahead of the big fight, an array of undercards went head-to-head to deliver a stellar prelude to the main event of the night. One of these matchups was the nail-biting clash of Alexandro Santiago with Nonito Donaire. 

The fight took its entire course across 12 rounds with judges delivering a unanimous decision in favor of Alexandro Santiago. The matchup started. As the fight progressed,  Santiago took the lead as he landed more jabs than his opponent. The same streak was also maintained over the next few rounds as Santiago maintained his poised attacks on Donaire. However, as we progressed through the second half of the fight, the Filipino fighter picked up and landed some solid jabs on his opponent. A consistent Santiago maintained his footing and gave it all to just be crowned the winner. In a unanimous decision of (115-113, 116-112×2), Nonito Donaire was crowned the WBC champion in the bantamweight class.

Nonito Donaire lost the fight, but won the war

The match was a spectacle of grace and sportsmanship as the two bantamweight fighters put on quite an enthralling fight. As the fight ended with Santiago taking home the WBC title, fans also rejoiced and spoke out to congratulate the both for putting up an entertaining fight.

Rocky rightly pointed out the sheer sportsmanship shown by the fighters.

Gilberto Torres Jr. believes Santiago deserved the win. However, the user recognized the stellar performance put on by Donaire.

Further, boxing sensei claimed that Santiago deserved the win.

However, S.R.A spoke vividly of the prowess Filipino fighter, Donaire showed against Santiago. Despite the loss, the fighter put out a strong front against the winner.

Despite the loss, Nonito Donaire showed grace and immense sportsmanship, says Abe. 

However, recognizing the advanced age of the Filipino fighter, Cameron McCamey asked him to retire.

As we enter the biggest fight of the night, we await to see the pound-for-pound fighters battle it off to defend their titles while they also look to claim their opponents’. A befitting prelude to the historic fight, the undercards have delivered what they promised. A nail-biting, hung matchup. But the big Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr. is what lies on the horizon.

Also Read: Alexandro Santiago in Tears After Beating His Idol Nonito Donaire

Who do you think will emerge as the unified champion in the welterweight division? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story – Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago Stats: Record, Age, Height, Reach, and Knockout Ratio