MELINDO 90% READY (PHOTOS)
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 19 Aug 2017
That's where IBF Jr flyweight world champion Milan Melindo of the Philippines is at right now a little less than a month before his title defense against IBO world champion Hekkie Budler of South Africa scheduled on September 16 at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino here on the main event of ALA Promotions' 'Pinoy Pride 42: Clash for Glory'.
Melindo (36-2-0, 13KOs) held a public workout at Metro Colon Foodcourt in downtown Cebu City Saturday afternoon and displayed an aura of confidence and great poise as he went through his exercise routine in front of a huge mall weekend crowd.
?The fight is near and I'm excited,? Melindo said. ?The fans can expect an exciting fight because my opponent is good, he is also a world champion, and he comes to fight.?
Budler (31-2-0, 10KOs) won world titles in the minimumweight and jr flyweight and holds the distinction of beating all his five Filipino opponents including former world champion Florante Condes.
Asked what is his strategy against Budler, Melindo said, ?We're going to disrupt his movement just like what I did to my other opponents.?
IBF world champion Milan Melindo does his exercise routine during a public workout Saturday in Cebu.
Melindo, meanwhile, predicted that Floyd Mayweather will win easily against Conor McGregor in their blockbuster fight next week. ?It's a boxing match so I'll go with Floyd. If it's MMA, McGregor wins. McGregor will make the fight dirty for sure but Floyd is well experienced against dirty fighters and he will be able to control McGregor,? Melindo said.
Also participating in the workout were undercard fighters Jonas 'Zorro' Sultan, comebacking Arthur Villanueva and up-and-coming Virgel Vitor.
Jonas Sultan does his workout routine.
Sultan will take on compatriot and former two-division world champion Johnriel Casimero in a highly anticipated IBF world jr bantamweight eliminator with the winner expected to challenge reigning Filipino world champion Jerwin Ancajas.
Sultan, who received a message from Casimero in the social media asking him to prepare hard for this fight, said, ?I'm always prepared. I expected this fight to go 12 rounds because Casimero is a durable fighter so I have prepared myself for 12 hard rounds.? But Sultan didn't rule out a knockout. ?The fight could also end anytime because both of us have the power to knock each other out,? Sultan said.
Arthur Villanueva.
Villanueva who still carried the sting of his loss to Zolani Tete which could have earned him a world title, will face two-time world title challenger Richie Mepranum in a must win fight for him to remain relevant. ?This will be a difficult fight because Mepranum is a skilled boxer but I need to set him up so I can land my right,? Villaneva said.
Vitor (10-1-0, 6KOs) will face Alvin Bais (15-9-1, 4KOs) in a 8-round super bantamweight bout.
The Pinoy Pride 42 mall tour will continue next weekend in Liloan, Cebu.
L-R: Virgel Vitor, Jonas Sultan and Arthur Villanueva.
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