Nonito Donaire's Top 10 KOs

1) Donaire TKO 5 Vic Darchinyan (July 7, 2007): Donaire controlled the battle of southpaws with IBF world flyweight champion “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan of Australia, who was 28-0 with 22 knockouts, had stopped eight of his previous nine opponents, and was two bouts removed from a sixth round technical decision over Donaire’s brother, Glenn. A massive, fifth-round counter left hook flattened Darchinyan, who rose on unsteady legs only to stumble against the ropes. Referee Eddie Claudio waved an end to the bout, crowning a new champion as Donaire earned his first title and revenge for his family against a 7-to-1 favorite.

2) Donaire TKO 2 Fernando Montiel (February 19, 2011): A mega-bout with Montiel matched “The Filipino Flash” with a Mexican WBC/WBO world bantamweight and four-division champion who entered at 44-2-2 (34 KOs) and riding an 11-0-1 unbeaten streak that included nine knockouts. What was billed as Donaire’s toughest test turned into one the finest clips on his long highlight reel: Donaire stopped Montiel for the first time in his career, lowering the boom as a head-swiveling, second-round left hook temple shot that flattened Montiel, whose arms were outstretched over his head with both legs twitching, and made him a two-division title winner.

3) Donaire KO 4 Nordine Oubaali (May 29, 2021): The “Filipino Flash” became champion once again and cemented his Hall of Fame credentials with a sensational three-knockdown, fourth-round KO of Oubaali, a southpaw who entered at 17-0 (12 KOs). Donaire twice floored Oubaali with second-round left hooks, and, for the final time, with a left uppercut as referee Jack Reiss stopped the fight. The 38-year-old Donaire captured the WBC World Bantamweight title, becoming the oldest-ever world champion ever at 118-pounds.

4) Donaire KO 4 Reymart Gaballo (December 11, 2021): Already the oldest man to win a 118-pound title, Donaire defended his WBC crown with a paralyzing, final-round liver-shot knockout of Gaballo, a Filipino countryman. Donaire fired a vicious left hook just below the right elbow of Gaballo, who entered at 24–1 (20 KOs). Donaire cemented his second straight knockout win since losing a unanimous decision in November 20109 to Naoya Inoue (21–0, 18 KOs), who added Donaire’s WBA crown to his IBF version.

5) Donaire TKO 9 Toshiaki Nishoka (October 13, 2012): Donaire floored Nishioka with a sixth-round left hook and ninth-round counter-right. Noshiaks rose from the second knockdown only to have referee Raul Caiz Sr. halt the bout at the 1:54 mark. In victory, Donaire successfully defended his WBO 122-pound title, ending a 16-bout winning streak and an eight-year span during which Nishioka (39-5-3, 24 KOs) had not tasted defeat. Nishioka’s previous setback had come by unanimous decision to long-reigning WBC bantamweight titleholder and Thai legend Veeraphol Sahaprom in March of 2004, a winning streak that included 10 knockouts.

6) Donaire KO 3 Jorge Arce (December 15, 2012): Donaire scored a knockdown with a second-round counter-right, another with a final-round barrage of blows, and the last one with a finishing left-hook to the face of Arce, a Mexican former four-division titleholder. Arce had taken an unbeaten streak of 9-0-1 that included six knockouts into the matchup with Donaire, a run that included a come-from-behind 12th-round stoppage in May 2011 ex-belt holder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., who had lost a decision to Donaire in February 2012.

Donaire went 4-0 (2 KOs) in defense of his WBO 122-pound title in 2012, resurrecting the hopes of his Filipino countrymen a week after national hero Manny Pacquiao was left lying face-first and motionless following a sixth-round knockout loss to Juan Manuelo Marquez.

7) Donaire KO 4 Volodymyr Sydorenko (December 4, 2010): Donaire’s stoppage left Sodorenko’s face bloodied and his nose broken as he was dropped once each in the first, third and fourth rounds.

Donaire had risen into the 118-pound division for the non-title bout, which stopped the Ukrainian for the first time in his career and retired him with a record of 22-3-2 (7 KOs).

8) Donaire TKO 8 Hernan "Tyson" Marquez (July 10, 2010): “The Filipino Flash’s” WBA 115-pound title was on the line for the second and final time as he stopped southpaw Hernan Marquez, flooring the future champion once each in the fifth and final rounds. A Mexican southpaw who entered the fight at 27-2 (20 KOs), Marquez hit the deck from a left hand the first time, and left uppercut for the final time.

9) Donaire KO 4 Raul Martinez (April 9, 2009): Donaire’s third defense of his IBF 112 pound title was a four-knockdown, fourth-round TKO over Raul Martinez, who was 24-0 (14 KOs) and had previously scored a 68-second stoppage of previously unbeaten Victor Proa. But Martinez was floored twice in the first from a hybrid left hook-uppercut and a right, left, right combination, and once each in the third and fourth rounds from a left to the temple and a left uppercut, respectively, as the referee waved an end to the fight.

10) Donaire TKO 8 Luis Maldonado (December 1, 2007): Donaire successfully defended his new, IBF 112-pound title for the first time by stopping former title challenger, Maldonado, who entered 37-1-1 (28 KOs).

Donaire’s double fisted power included a seventh-round left hook that floored his opponent and right hands that turned Maldonado’s face into a bloody mess, eventually prompting the referee to stop the fight.