Donaire back in Cebu
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 23 Jan 2026
Former four-division world champion and WBA No. 1 bantamweight Nonito Donaire, Jr. is back in Cebu training at Omega Boxing Gym’s Camp Kumbati while awaiting confirmation of his next fight. There’s nothing definite on the table but with Donaire setting up camp in Cebu, the speculation is an offer may come soon to fight in Japan. The Filipino Flash arrived in Cebu from Las Vegas early this week.
Donaire, 43, was in Tokyo a month ago to face WBA bantamweight titlist Seiya Tsutsumi and lost on a disputed split 12-round decision. Tsutsumi landed in the hospital where he underwent a four-hour surgery to repair a broken nose and sew up cuts on his face. WBA officials apparently reviewed the fight video and kept Donaire as the No. 1 contender.
It may take several months before Tsutsumi is able to fight again, if at all. Texas-born 2016 Olympian Antonio Vargas is the interim WBA bantamweight champion so while Tsutsumi is in recovery, Donaire may be tapped to face him. Vargas’ most recent outing was in Yokohama last July when he fought Daigo Higa to a draw. A duel between Vargas and Donaire in Japan isn’t a remote possibility.
There are five Japanese bantamweights in WBA’s top 10 so pitting any of them against Donaire in Japan is an option. The five are No. 2 Higa, No. 3 Yoshiki Takei, No. 4 Riku Masuda, No. 6 Kazuto Ioka and No. 10 Ryosuke Nishida. WBC bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue will meet Ioka in a title defense in Tokyo on May 2 so that rules out the challenger as an opponent for Donaire. Higa, a former WBC flyweight champion, is a suitable candidate considering his last two fights ended in a draw with Vargas and Tsutsumi. Whoever steps up to the plate, Donaire will be locked and loaded to give it his all.
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