Melindo, Fuentes make weight for 'Pinoy Pride XVI'

Unbeaten Filipino flyweight contender Milan Melindo and his Venezuelan challenger Jean Piero Perez both checked in at the division limit of 112 pounds for their bout Saturday night at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City, Philippines.

The scheduled 12-round bout will headline ALA Boxing Promotions' "Pinoy Pride XVI" card, which will be televised in the Philippines this Sunday on ABS-CBN channel 2 at 10:15 a.m., with a replay on Studio 23 at 6:15 p.m.

Melindo (27-0, 11 knockouts) of Cagayan de Oro City has scored stoppages in 6 of his last 7 bouts, but faces his biggest step-up in competition since his conquest of former titleholder Carlos Tamara in 2010. Perez (19-4-1, 14 KOs) previously obtained "interim" status of the WBA flyweight title, but lost it via a second-round knockout to Juan Carlos Reveco before he could get a shot at the full title.

Melindo is rated no. 5 by THE RING at flyweight.

Another RING-ranked flyweight, the seventh-rated Rocky Fuentes of Cebu City, also checked in at 112 pounds for his bout in the chief supporting slot, a half pound more than his opponent Myung Ho Lee of Osaka, Japan, who weighed 111 1/2.

Fuentes (33-6-2, 20 KOs) has won 13 straight fights, four of which came in Lee's home country of Japan as the "B-side" opponent. Lee (15-1, 5 KOs) meanwhile has never fought outside of his hometown, let alone home country.

Photo / Rey Magale

Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News. He is also a member of The Ring ratings panel and can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com. An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @RyanSongalia.

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