Nonito Donaire Wins Over Fernando Montiel Via Second-Round Knockout

Filipino boxer Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire scored a second-round knockout win over highly-rated Mexican champion Fernando Montiel at the Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday night.

Donaire and Montiel showed mutual respect in the first round by having a feel of each other, but Donaire was seen clearly as the aggressor and found his target in the middle of the round.

By the second round, both fighters loosened up a little. The end came when Donaire landed a left hook that sent Montiel to the canvas. He struggled to get up as the referee gave him another chance to keep fighting. However, Donaire was not to be denied his defining moment as he continued pummeling Montiel to force stoppage of the fight.

Donaire, who is ranked No. 5 in Ring's pound-for-pound list, snatched Montiel's WBC and WBO bantamweight crowns with his second-round win over the Mexican champion.

The win gave Donaire his third world title in three weight classes. The Filipino Flash has earlier expressed his desire to move up to featherweight and hopefully to lightweight. Earlier in his fight preparations, he said his fight with Montiel will be his last in the bantamweight level.

Donaire's knockout win over Montiel could be a potential candidate for 2011 "Fight of the Year" and "Fighter of the Year" titles.

Nonito Donaire is a Filipino-American boxer who is a known switch-hitter with the ability to fight either southpaw or orthodox.

Donaire is the former WBA Super Flyweight Interim World Champion, IBF World Flyweight Champion and IBO World Flyweight Champion.