Nonito Donaire vs. Alejandro Santiago WBC Bantamweight Title Bout Odds, Time, and Prediction

Nonito Donaire a.k.a. “The Filipino Flash” is one of the most successful Asian pugilists of all time, who’s won a number of major boxing titles throughout his professional career that started more than 20 years ago. He’s 42-7 overall with only two of his losses happening by KO/TKO. What’s got to worry him is that one of those happened in his previous fight in which Naoya Inoue took over the WBC Bantamweight title away from him.

It happened a year ago, and the Japanese boxer has since vacated the championship belt in order to move to another weight division. The result is that Donaire will get a chance to fight for the title once again. This time, his opponent is Mexican boxer Alexandro Santiago who’s 27-3-5 overall.

Nonito Donaire vs. Alejandro Santiago Odds

*Odds taken from BetUS on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Date: Saturday, July 15, 2023
• Time: 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
• How to Watch: Showtime 

Nonito Donaire’s Chance to Become a Champ Again

Nonito Donaire is already 40, meaning that this could be his last chance to become the world champion once again. That said, it’s clear that he’s going to be super motivated in Vegas. He’s had over a year to prepare for the title bout, after losing it to his archrival Naoya Inoue in Japan.

Inoue beat him by TKO in round 2, which was one of Donaire’s most humiliating losses of his career. The Japanese boxer knocked him down twice before finally getting awarded the TKO win. It was a bad loss, but no one can say it was unexpected. Donaire came to Inoue’s native country as a +400 underdog.

This time, Donaire is a -155 favorite, but his opponent is determined to upset the odds.

Can Alejandro Santiago Stage an Upset on July 15?

When Alejandro Santiago turned pro in 2012, Donaire was already a world champion. The Filipino boxer has way more experience than his Mexican counterpart, but Santiago has fought some real elite opponents in the past. Still, Donaire is his toughest opponent so far. 

Santiago is 27-3-5 overall and is sitting in the No. 5 position in the bantamweight rankings. Obviously, he’s a great boxer, but he’s no former champ, which explains why his odds are +125 at the moment.

However, as per the man himself, he’s incredibly motivated to beat Donaire on Saturday. Among many reasons for that, there’s one that stands out – Santiago’s become a father a month ago and would love to dedicate the win to his newborn son.

Nonito Donaire vs. Alejandro Santiago Prediction

We’re almost certain that the Nonito Donaire vs. Alejandro Santiago bout is going to last for the full 12 rounds. Both are going to box smart, but in such cases, it’s the more experienced pugilist that usually wins. And Donaire has been in the boxing business for more than a decade longer than Santiago.

Pick: Nonito Donaire to win