FORMER International Boxing Federation minimum weight world champion Florante Condes, nicknamed “The Little Pacquiao” because of his southpaw stance and punching power, has been added to the ALA Promotions/ABS-CBN “Pinoy Pride 37” fight card at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino on Feb. 27.
Condes will battle unbeaten KO artist Melvin Jerusalem, who has a sizzling record of 7 knockouts in 8 wins and is ranked No. 1 by the Games and Amusements Board.
Jerusalem is coming off a second-round TKO of veteran Crison Omayao, who had a total of 30 fights.
Condes, who won the world minimum weight title on July 7, 2007, beating Muhammad Rcahman of Indonesia in Jakarta, has a record of 23 knockouts in 27 wins as against 9 losses and 1 draw.
He won the title with a split decision mainly because one Indonesian judge had the hometown boy ahead, eventhough Condes dropped him once in Round 3 and once more in Round 10.
The 34-year-old Condes won the vacant IBF Pan Pacific minimum weight title with seventh-round TKO over Cris Alfante, who had a record of 10-1 with 4 knockouts on March 15, 2014, but dropped a close eight-round decision to Japan’s Ryoichi Taguchi at the Korakuen Hall on July 5, 2014.