MANILA, Philippines – Another all-Filipino world title duel is brewing. 

Donnie Nietes will gun for a world title in a 4th weight division when he meets compatriot Aston Palicte for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight belt possibly this August in Cebu City. 

Nietes (41-1-4, 23 knockouts) and Palicte (24-2, 20 KOs) – ordered to fight for the vacant 115-pound world title – will meet less than 3 months after Jerwin Ancajas defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) crown against compatriot Jonas Sultan in the first all-Filipino world title bout in nearly a century,

The fight is in the works as ESPN’s Dan Rafael reported that Nietes’ promoter Michael Aldeguer of ALA Sports Promotions said that the Nietes-Palicte bout has been planned for August 18 in Cebu City, but contracts have yet to be finalized. 

Prior to the Ancajas-Sultan clash, the last time two Filipinos squared off for a world title was when Pancho Villa retained his flyweight belt against Clever Sencio in 1923. 

Nietes, who dropped his IBF flyweight belt last April to move up to 115 pounds, has been undefeated for almost 14 years now.

At 36 years old, the pride of Negros Occidental showed he can still pack a punch with a 7th-round KO of Juan Carlos Reveco last February in his first title defense of his IBF title before expressing his desire to move to super flyweight. 

Palicte, meanwhile, has collected impressive back-to-back technical knockout victories in 2017. The 27-year-old is on a 4-fight winning streak and looks to bank on his youth when he faces Nietes. – Rappler.com