Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank Promotions

Nonito Donaire’s WBO junior featherweight title defense against Zsolt Bedak on April 23 has been moved from the Araneta Coliseum in Metro Manila, Philippines, to the Cebu City Sports Complex, which is a one-hour flight south of Manila.

The news was confirmed to RingTV.com by ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer, whose company will promote the event with Donaire’s promoter Top Rank. A request for comment from Top Rank has not been answered at time of publication.

The fight will be the fifth time Donaire (36-3, 23 knockouts) will fight in his country of birth, and his first world title fight in the Philippines since his fourth-round technical knockout of Raul Martinez in 2009.

The Cebu City Sports Complex drew nearly 25,000 fans to the venue in 2007 when ALA promoted the WBO junior bantamweight title fight between Fernando Montiel and local hero Z Gorres.

Donaire, 33, is a four-division champion and is in his second reign as WBO 122-pound titleholder, having picked up the title stripped from Guillermo Rigondeaux in a rough decision win over Cesar Juarez in December.

Bedak (25-1, 8 KOs) of Budapest, Hungary is a year younger than Donaire but hasn’t fought the same level of competition. His only loss came in 2010 when he was stopped in 10 rounds by Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. for the same title Donaire currently holds.

The co-featured bout will pit unbeaten featherweight Mark Magsayo (12-0, 10 KOs), in his first serious test, against former title challenger Chris Avalos (26-4, 19 KOs).

Magsayo, 20, must first get past Eduardo Montoya (17-4-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico this Saturday, February 27 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City.