Daud Eager to Defend Featherweight Title

Sandy Pramuji

Daud Yordan can hardly wait for his first title defense fight, especially now that he knows who he’ll be fighting against.

The International Boxing Organization featherweight champion will take on Manchester-based Mongolian fighter Choi Tseveenpurev at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on Nov. 9.

“I’m really eager to fight. I want to prove that I’m a worthy champion,” the 25-year-old Indonesian boxer said on Wednesday. “I’ve seen [Tseveenpurev’s] video-taped matches several times and he’s a real fighter, the kind of opponent that I like. It’ll be a great fight.”

Cino, as Daud is known among his fans, took the vacant IBO title by knocking out Lorenzo Villanueva of the Philippines in the second round of a May 5 bout. That fight was also in Singapore.

“Of course I want another KO, but I’m not going to force it,” Daud said. “I’ll just try to fight good and hopefully be rewarded with a knockout win.”

Daud will take a 29-2-0 record (with 23 knockouts) into the bout.

The 40-year-old Tseveenpurev, at 36-5-0 (25 KOs), is regarded as one of the best Mongolian boxers in history. He was awarded with the title of “State Honored Athlete” by the then-Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar in 2008.

Despite his age, Tseveenpurev is unbeaten in his last seven fights. The latest was an eight-round technical knockout of Bastien Rozeaux on March 23 in London to take the WBC International Silver featherweight title.

It will be Tseveenpurev’s second fight against an Indonesian boxer after a unanimous decision loss to Bulan Bugiarso in Bojonegoro, East Java, on May 5, 1999.

“I have age as my advantage but he has the experience. I also believe he’ll fight hard for the title. That’s why I must not take him lightly,” Daud said.

Since Monday, Daud has moved his training camp from his hometown of Kayong in West Kalimantan to OSO Sports Center in Bekasi, West Java, where he trains with countrymate and the World Boxing Association featherweight super champion Chris John.

Daud’s fight in Singapore will be on the undercard of Chris’s 17th title defense, a bout against Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo of Thailand.

“It’s a great opportunity to train with the Dragon [Chris’s nickname]. I’m learning a lot from him as we can have sparring sessions,” said Daud, who was beaten by Chris in the ring last year. “[Coach] Damianus [Yordan] told me that two Philippines boxers will arrive here as sparring partners so everything has been working out well so far for me. I can’t wait to fight.”