MANILA – Filipino boxer Michael Dasmariñas is set to face WBA and IBF bantamweight titleholder Naoya “Monster” Inoue of Japan on Saturday (Sunday in the Philippines) at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to Dasmariñas, it will be a herculean task to defeat the heavily-favored Japanese fighter but, he is confident that an upset victory is doable.
“Gagawin natin ang lahat sa laban. Nag-training naman tayo kaya may chance manalo,” Dasmarinas said in a Facebook live video recently.
The Camarines Sur-native boxer has an impressive boxing record of 30-2-1 with 20 victories by stoppages. He earned the mandatory shot for Inoue’s belt by outclassing fellow Filipino Kenny Demecillo in March 2019.
This will be Dasmarinas’ second chance to be a world champion after capturing the IBO world bantamweight championship in 2018 over French Karim Guerfi.
“I hope ipagkaloob sa atin ng Diyos (ang panalo). Basta ginawa ko ang lahat ng makakaya natin (sa training),” he said.
Dasmarinas’ manager Art Monis is confident that his ward can pull off a stunner like what Nonito Donaire Jr. did to Nordine Oubaali last month.
“(Michael) fears no one and won’t get intimidated by anyone,” Monis said in a separate interview with Rappler Sports recently. “He’s ready for battle and win the world championship.”
Inoue will enter the match with an untarnished 20-0-0 win-loss-draw ring record, including 17 victories by way of stoppages.
The Dasmarinas-Inoue world championship bout was scheduled for last year, but the camp of Japanese fighter opted to fight Australian Jason Maloney, whom he toppled in seven rounds late in 2020./PN
