NAGSIMULA nang magsanay si interim IBF light flyweight titlist Milan Melindo bilang paghahanda sa kanyang nalalapit na unification bout sa regular champion na si Akira Yaegashi ng Japan.

Wala pang pinal na petsa ang sagupaan pero hindi na makaiiwas si Yaegashi na posibleng magdepensa kay Melindo sa Marso o Abril sa Tokyo, Japan kung saan naganap ang mayorya ng kanyang 30 laban.

Iniutos ng IBF na magdepensa si Yaegashi noong nakaraang taon kay Melindo, ngunit bigla itong nagkapinsala habang nagsasanay kaya nilabanan na lamang ng Pinoy boxer si IBF No. 3 light flyweight Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr. sa Cebu City at kumbinsidong tinalo ang Thai champion noong Nobyembre 26, 2016.

Kataka-takang bigla namang gumaling si Yaegashi kaya nakapagdepensa ng kanyang korona nitong Disyembre 30 sa isa pang Thai na si Samartlek Kokietgym na tinalo niya via 12th round TKO.

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Batid ni Melindo na iniwasan lamang siya ni Yaegashi kaya tuloy-tuloy lang ang kanyang pagsasanay para handa siya kapag nakaharap ang Hapones sa ibabaw ng ring.

“I didn’t even feel like going on a vacation for the holidays. I know I still have to train harder, I want to train harder”, sabi ni Melindo sa Fightnews.com. “Yaegashi is a good fighter. He doesn’t have the world title if he isn’t.

But that is not why I am more relentless in my training after my latest fight. I realized what helped me win is the strong motivation from my past two attempts at world titles. Because of the experience, I felt a stronger will to finally win and make something out of my dreams. I want to train harder because I want more. I don’t want to go back to just dreaming of being in this level. There’s more out there, and that’s what I want now.”

Nagpasalamat din si Melindo sa mga taong naniwala sa kanya sa kabila ng pagkatalo kina dating WBA at WBO flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada sa 12-round unanimous decision noong 2013 sa Macau, China at IBF light flyweight titlist Javier Mendoza sa kontrobersiyal na 6th round technical decision sa Baja California, Mexico noong 2015.

“There’s not much difference in me as a person. I am the same Milan before I won the title. I want people to know that. What I am is thankful. I am very happy to have finally won a world title for all of us. I am happy I was given the chance fight again despite my failures the past years,” sambit ni Melindo.

“More importantly, I am happy with how I turned my doubters to believers. It gives me more confidence to aim higher not just for myself, but also for my gym and country. This is for all of us.”

Nangako rin siya na gagawin ang lahat para talunin si Yaegashi sa kanilang nalalapit na sagupaan.

“I want to be a regular world champion first. After that, I hope to challenge the other world champions in my division. It’s strange because before I got this title, I was only focused on actually winning it. Now that I have it in my hands, I want to achieve more,” dagdag ni Melindo. “I want to get my country on top of the rankings again. It’s the reason I’ve been spending more time training instead of resting after my fight. There’s this want in me that’s keeping me on the move.” (Gilbert Espeña)