Nonito Donaire vs. Jessie Magdaleno: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

Jessie Magdaleno faces the toughest test of his professional career on Saturday, as he will face WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The eye-catching contest is part of an impressive undercard prior to the main event, which sees legendary brawler Manny Pacquiao challenge for the WBO welterweight title against Jessie Vargas. Magdaleno, just 24, has forged a reputation as a tremendous prospect, although he will have his work cut out against a wily champion.

It’s set to be a classic showdown between two fighters at different stages in their career. Here are the key viewing details for this bout and a look at how the tussle is likely to pan out.

Date: Saturday, November 5

Main Card Start Time: 6 p.m. (Local), 9 p.m. (ET), 1 a.m. (GMT)

TV Info: BoxNation (UK), Top Rank (U.S.) 

Live Stream: BoxNation Online (UK), TopRank.TV (U.S.)

Magdaleno Out to Light Up Las Vegas

For Magdaleno, this is the biggest night in what remain the early stages of his professional career. As a Las Vegas native, he has the chance to win a world title in front of a home crowd and do so on a bill containing one of the most iconic sporting names of this generation. It's a massive opportunity.

There are parallels to draw between Magdaleno and Vargas, too, something that’s not escaped the 24-year-old ahead of the bout.

“Both Jessies from Las Vegas beating both big fighters from the Philippines. That’d be something,” he said, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, before predicting a stoppage win. “[…] I'm a big risk taker. Risks make champions. I’ve got to be the stronger, smarter fighter and once he feels my power, he’ll have an entirely different mentality.”

Magdaleno has every right to be confident coming into this one, despite being an underdog in the eyes of many. After all, he’s yet to lose in his professional career, with 23 wins from 23 fights, 17 coming by way of knockout. 

Boxing journalist Steve Kim thinks it’s a brilliant chance for Magdaleno to show he can mix it with established elite fighters:

However, Donaire is still a capable fighter. Not only does the Filipino have more experience than his younger opponent, the 33-year-old has shown in recent outings that he’s got power aplenty; he’s won his last four fights in succession, three coming inside the scheduled distance.

With a professional career spanning 15 years, Donaire is a multifaceted and ferocious fighter. The southpaw is content to sit back and pop off shots from the back foot, although he’s also adept at forcing the issue when required. So while Magdaleno will want to start quickly in this one, he’ll need to be wary of the veteran’s broad skill set.

As we can see here courtesy of the Top Rank Boxing Twitter feed, he’s cut a pumped-up figure in the buildup to this fight:

“He has never faced anyone who can punch like I do or move like I can,” Donaire has said ahead of this one, per Dan Rafael of ESPN. “He's in the big leagues now. I know that I'm going to dominate this fight.”

Alexis Cuarezma/Getty Images

Aside from what should be an interesting stylistic matchup, another intriguing line in the buildup to this fight is Magdaleno’s potential to make the championship weight. Per Pugmire, the last time the man from the United States fought at 122 pounds was in January 2015, with his previous bout—in February against Rey Perez—at the super featherweight limit.

Provided he’s still strong at the super bantamweight mark, Magdaleno will feel as though he has a decent chance here. Throughout his career, he’s shown a willingness to be aggressive and has troubled opponents with the power of his punches. However, he may need to curtail those natural instincts against a savvy opponent early on.

If he can pull this one into the latter stages, then the younger legs of the challenger could become a problem for Donaire, who has been a little static at times in recent bouts. Even so, the power the man from the Philippines possesses, especially in his thunderous left hook, will be a chastening experience for the younger fighter.