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Donaire and Verdejo return on Dec. 11

Fighters Network
11
Nov
MetroPCS-FNK
Former four-division titlist Nonito Donaire and unbeaten lightweight Felix Verdejo return to action on Dec. 11.
They will fight in separate bouts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Top Rank announced earlier today. A press conference will take place on Thursday in San Juan to officially announce the card.
Donaire will fight Cesar Juarez in a 12-round bout, while Verdejo faces Josenilson Dos Santos over 10 rounds. Both fights will air live on truTV as part of its ‘MetroPCS Friday Night Knockout’ series.
Donaire (35-3, 23 knockouts) has rebounded well since being stopped by Nicholas Walters in the sixth round in Oct. of 2014. He has scored back-to-back, second round stoppage wins over modest opposition.
In his last bout on July 18, Donaire knocked down Anthony Settoul twice in the first round before ending matters one round later.
Donaire, who turns 33 on Nov. 16, is now campaigning as a junior featherweight after campaigning as a featherweight up to the Walters fight.
Juarez (17-3, 13 KOs) is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Juan Carlos Sanchez on July 25 in Los Mochis, Mexico. Prior to that fight, Juarez scored the biggest win of his career, grinding out an eight-round majority decision over former title challenger Cesar Seda.
Juarez, who hails from Mexico City, has won his last four consecutive bouts.
The 22-year-old Verdejo, who won a bronze medal in 2012 Olympic Games, has seen his popularity skyrocket, fighting in front of significantly large crowds on the island.
Verdejo was scheduled to fight Dos Santos on Oct. 31 in Kissimmee, Florida, but the fight was postponed when Verdejo experienced discomfort in his surgically-repaired left hand.
Dos Santos (27-3, 17 KOs) has not fought since October of last year, when he was knocked out by Paulus Moses in the sixth round.
Dos Santos, who resides in Sao Paulo, Brazil, also has losses to Diego Magdaleno and Miguel Angel Gonzalez.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since Oct. of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, Boxingscene.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.

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