Donnie Nietes vs Aston Palicte Preview Sept. 8th
Former IBF Flyweight Champion Donnie Nietes of the Philippines will be fighting for the vacant WBO Super Flyweight Title when he takes on fellow countryman Aston Palicte at the Forum in Inglewood, California this Saturday, September 8th. The bout can be seen live in North America on HBO. Nietes last fought in February when he stopped Juan Carlos Reveco in the seventh round. Palicte’s last fight took place in December when he stopped Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in the fifth round in defence of his NABF Super Flyweight Title. Nietes enters the bout on a 33-fight unbeaten streak and hasn’t lost since 2004. He’s also a former WBO Light Flyweight champion and was a minimumweight champion earlier in his career.
Nietes vs Palicte Betting Odds
Here are the winner odds from online sportsbook 5dimes.eu
- Aston Palicte +300
- Donnie Nietes -455
My Pick
The 36-year-old Nietes will be left attempting to win a title in his fourth weight division as a pro and has been beaten just once in his career. He will climb into the ring with an impressive record of 41-1-4 along with 23 Kos. His lone defeat came at the hands of Angky Angkotta by way of a 10-round split decision back in 2004. He’s also fought draws with Moises Fuentes, Greg Mangan, Carlo Besares and Nino Suelo over the years.
Nietes turned pro in 2003 and has fought 334 rounds since then. He stands 5-feet-3-inches tall and has a reach of 65.5 inches. He’s also got decent power for a small man as his current knockout ratio stands at 50 per cent. His biggest wins have been against Reveco, Edgar Sosa, Raul Garcia, Carlos Velarde, Manuel Vargas and Erik Ramirez. Nietes was also the WBO Minimumweight Champion from September of 2007 to August, 2010 and defended it four times. He then defended his Light Flyweight Title nine times over a five-year span.
Nietes had basically had a hall of fame career, but outside of the Philippines he isn’t really well known and only started fighting in the U.S. Later in his career. His record in world title fights is 16-0-1 with 7 Kos and he’s gone 8-0-1 with 3 Kos against former, current, and future world champions. He hasn’t fought much on the road, but outside of his homeland he’s gone 8-1 with 3 Kos. Nietes has also won some minor and regional titles as a pro including the Philippines Boxing Federation Light Flyweight Title, the WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight Title and the WBO Inter-Continental Flyweight Title.
He is one of just seven Asian boxers to win world championships in three or more three weight divisions and one of just three Filipino boxers to achieve the feat. Also, his 14 title defences is a record for a Filipino. And oddly enough, he’ll be taken on a Filipino on Saturday night as the 27-year-old Palicte hails from Bago City. Palicte turned pro in 2010 after a good amateur career and has 105 rounds of experience under his belt. He has a fine record of 24-2 along with 20 big Kos which translates into a current knockout ratio of 77 per cent.
Palicte has been stopped once as Romnick Magos halted him after the fourth round in 2012. His other defeat came at the hands of Junior Granados via a 10-round split decision in March of 2016. Palicte stands 5-feet-7-inches tall and owns a 68-inch wingspan which gives him a four-inch height advantage and 2.5-inch reach advantage on Nietes. He hasn’t fought any top level opponents as of yet, so Palicte will definitely be taking a step up in class on Saturday night. He’s also won some regional titles including IBF Pan Pacific, and the WBO Oriental Super Flyweight Titles.
Prediction…
This should be an interesting fight as Nietes could possibly end up passing the torch to his fellow countryman. Palicte has the height and reach advantage to keep the fight on the outside, but he also has a lot of power and might like his chances of turning things into a brawl. Nietes will need to work his way inside and simply use his experience. However, he is moving up in weight again. Considering the level of opposition Palicte has faced so far though, I think Nietes should be able to beat him despite the difference in size and age.
Niete’s experience should pull him through.
Play Nietes -455 @ 5dimes.eu
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Aston Palicte betting • Donnie Nietes betting