Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago Fight Card, Odds, & Predictions

The Filipino-Mexican boxing rivalry will be renewed this Saturday, July 29, as former four-division world champion Nonito Donaire (42-7) faces Alexandro Santiago (27-3-5) for the vacant WBC World Bantamweight title. The title was vacated by Naoya Inoue when he moved up to the super bantamweight division. Donaire is tagged as the slight favorite in online sports betting at -190 against Santiago, who is the underdog at +160.

Jesus Ramos vs Sergio Garcia is off the Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford undercard on July 29th as Ramos has suffered an injury, according to multiple reports – Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago for the vacant WBC bantamweight world title has been moved to July 29th instead.

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 12, 2023

Even at age 40, Donaire still competes at a high level against young and hungry fighters like Santiago. Because of his championship pedigree and wealth of experience, the “Filipino Flash” has topped “Peque” in the betting lines to reclaim the title he held. Meanwhile, Santiago looks to score a huge upset victory to earn his first major boxing title and establish his name as a top contender in the division.

Nonito Donaire Recent Fight Results

Nonito Donaire began his professional boxing career in 2001 and piled up the victories to climb his way into title fights. Donaire burst into prominence when he famously knocked out Vic Darchinyan in July 2007 with one punch. That picture-perfect shot took home the Knockout of the Year honors that year. Since winning his first set of titles in the flyweight division, the trajectory of the Filipino’s career significantly went upward.

1 of Nonito Donaire’s signature moments of his career,
Winning the WBC and WBO 118 lbs titles with the KO of the year against Fernando Montiel in 2011
💥💥#Boxing #DonaireSantiago
🔥🔥🥊🥊🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/BbhwfGZjH5

— Danny (@dantheboxingman) July 11, 2023

Donaire slowly moved up in weight, where he won more titles in the bantamweight (WBO and WBC belts), super bantamweight (WBO and IBF belts), and featherweight divisions, where he bagged the WBA belt. After suffering a TKO loss to Nicholas Walters in October 2014, Donaire returned to the super bantamweight division and had another successful title reign until Naoya Inoue dethroned him.

Alexandro Santiago Recent Fight Results

Alexandro Santiago is a tough fighter in the bantamweight division who made his pro debut in December 2012. Before winning his first boxing title, the boxer out of Tijuana, Mexico, sustained three draws in all his championship opportunities, as he had a stalemate with Antonio Nieves, Jose Martinez-Mercado, and Jerwin Ancajas. “Peque” finally won his inaugural title in November 2019 when he beat Roberto Sanchez Cantu.

That win over Cantu secured him the vacant WBC International Bantamweight title, which he immediately defended against Willibaldo Garcia Perez in September 2020. The Mexican slugger has only lost one in his last six fights and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak with victories over Juan Ramirez Marquez, David Carmona, and Antonio Nieves (in their rematch).

Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago: Tale of the Tape

Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago: Fight Analysis

The tale of the tape between Nonito Donaire and Alexandro Santiago clearly favors the former, as he stands taller at 5-foot-7 and has a three-inch longer reach at 68.5 inches against the latter, who is 5-foot-2 with 65.5 inches of reach. Donaire also holds a 17% higher TKO/KO percentage at 57% over Santiago’s 40%. However, the big age difference can be used to the Mexican’s advantage.

At only 27 years old, Santiago will enjoy a 13-year age difference  against Donaire, who is very well in the twilight stage of his professional career at 40. Although, this can be used as an upper hand by the former champion because of his wealth of experience competing and fighting at the championship level.

Both boxers are fighting in an orthodox stance, meaning their power hand is their left hand. Another similarity in their fighting approach is the pressure they apply to their opponents, as they like controlling the ring’s center. However, there are still a few key differences in their styles which can be the main factor in determining the possible winner of the fight.

The “Filipino Flash” always goes for a finish early in all his fights because he is fully aware of the power in his punches, especially with that left hand. His favorite one-punch knockout shot is the left hook, which he sets up via jabs and as a counter. However, the main downside is that he exerts a lot of energy in the early stages of the fight, which causes problems in the late rounds and when he can’t get an early finish.

On the other hand, Santiago is more patient with his attack, as he presses his opponents onto the ropes with his stiff jabs. Once the opposition obliges and the angles are cut, the Mexican uncorks a rapid and explosive combination of the head and body that often overwhelms his foes. If he can’t get the finish right away, Santiago smartly pulls back to repeat the pressure and combinations until he gets the job done.

This WBC World Bantamweight title match is interesting because of the contradicting attack points from Donaire and Santiago. The main key for Donaire is to land his signature left hook power shot to the head of Santiago to finish the fight early, while Santiago’s principal fight plan is to use his footwork to avoid that punch from Donaire, make him miss, tire him out, and ultimately frustrate him.

Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago: Date and Start Time

July 29, 2023, 5 p.m. PT

July 29, 2023, 7 p.m. CT

July 29, 2023, 8 p.m. ET

Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago: Fight Prediction

Official Prediction: TKO/KO victory for Nonito Donaire.

See the entire Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago odds and wagers here.