NONITO Donaire Jr. admitted the better fighter prevailed in his failed bid to re-create boxing history as the oldest bantamweight champion.
Yet that doesn’t mean everything is over for the ‘Filipino Flash.’
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The 40-year-old Donaire hardly talked about retirement in the aftermath of a unanimous decision loss to Alexandro Santiago of Mexico in the battle for the WBC bantamweight championship.
“We didn’t get what we wanted, but I congratulate Santiago on his WBC belt. He deserves this,” said Donaire, who at 38 two years ago became the oldest bantamweight fighter to reign as champion.
Winner of four titles in four different weight divisions, Donaire lost by scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 115-113.
His record now stands at 42-8 with 28 KOs as he suffered his first back-to-back career loss after a second-round stoppage at the hands of undefeated Japanese star Naoya Inoue last year.
Donaire has now lost three of his last five bouts.
But he appeared steadfast about keeping on fighting.
“I love the sport. The thing I told my wife is we will go back and talk about what’s next,” he said.
Donaire’s wife, Rachel, also acts as his trainer.
Santiago, 27, often beat Donaire to the draw, scoring mostly on combinations to secure the win and his first ever world title.
“I didn’t pull the trigger. I was trying to counter too much. You have to use your jab,” he said about the fight that served as undercard to the Terrence Crawford-Errol Spence undisputed welterweight championship bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Donaire, who is now based in Vegas, said he feels good after the fight despite the obvious welts he had under both eyes.
“I feel good. I am health, I’m OK,” he stressed. “This is boxing. A sport I love.”
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