PEDRO Taduran isn't keen on giving up his IBF minimumweight crown and leaving the Philippines without a world boxing champion by the end of the year.
The 30-year-old Filipino stakes his 105-pound crown against Brandon Moreno of Spain on Sunday (Manila time) at Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It will be the fourth title defense of Taduran, now the lone Filipino world title holder after Melvin Jerusalem lost the WBC minimumweight crown to South African Siyakholwa Kuse early this year.
Taduran vows to bring his title back home.
'Itong titulo ay hindi ko ipapaagaw kasi ako na lang ang nag-iisang world champion sa Pilipinas," said Taduran in Friday afternoon's pre-fight presser.
"Ipaglalaban ko ito hanggang sa abot ng makakaya ko."
The champion holds a record of 20-4-1 with 14 KOs including a seventh-round stoppage of Mexican Gustavo Alvarez in his last title defense seven months ago
Moreno, 33, is undefeated in 16 fights with 5 KOs and is bent on dethroning the Filipino.
"It's been a dream to fight for a world title here in the States. It's been something that I've been fighting for my whole life and on Saturday, I'm going to give it my all to win this battle," he said.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
