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The youthful manager of WBA super flyweight interim champion Drian Francisco (19-0-1, 15 KO’s)  says Mexican promoter Fernando Beltran has confirmed that former WBC/WBA super flyweight champion and reigning NABF bantamweight champion  Cristian Mijares (39-6-2, 17 KO’s)  will “take the fight against Francisco but they want it in Mexico.”

Elmer Anuran told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports “it doesn’t matter if the fight will be in Mexico. This will be the opening of the door for Drian to be recognized in the world and international market.”A confident Anuran said Francisco is “capable and ready to fight anyone, anywhere. He is at the right age and mentally and physically prepared.” He said “there is no reason to back out of a fight against a great champion like Mijares. This is the chance Francisco has been waiting for.”



The Francisco-Mijares fight plan developed after reigning  WBA super flyweight interim champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire  made it clear he is moving up to fight as a bantamweight or even a super bantamweight in his next bout,  prompting Anuran to  inform the WBA that Francisco is willing to fight former world champion Cristian Mijares for the interim title in the last week of September.

Anuran said he expects the negotiations to be  finalized by the weekend and if all goes well he would move Francisco’s training camp to Baguio City which is some 5,000 feet above sea level so his fighter “could adjust to the high altitude” which is one of the problems Filipino fighters have to face in Mexico.

Anuran plans to have Francisco arrive in Mexico some 15 days prior to the fight against Nijares so he could get acclimatized.

Just in case the negotiations fail Anuran said WBA No.2 contender Duangpetch Kokietgym  of Thailand has offered to fight Francisco but said that the offer will have to be “properly studied.”.

When Drian Francisco fought Ricardo Nunez in a WBA super flyweight eliminator last April 17, 2010 and won by a convincing 5th round TKO, he had been promised a crack at the world title.

 Hugo “El Increible” Cazares of Mexico ( 32-6-2, 23 KO’s) won the title by a twelve round unanimous decision in a rematch with Japanese champion Nobuo Nashiro on May 8, 2010 after their first title clash ended in a draw on September 30, 2009.

However, Francisco’s manager Elmer Anuran informed us that the camp of Cazares wants to avail of a nine month period wherein the champion was free to have a voluntary defense before being forced to fight the mandatory challenger, Francisco,  and he expects the WBA to grant the request of Cazares..


By:Ronnie Nathanielsz