By Chris Williams: WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (28-1, 18 KO’s) has made a career out of facing smaller guys and using his size advantage to dominate them from the distance. The 5’5 1/2″ Donaire has done remarkably well up until his last fight in beating his smaller opponents.

For once, however, Donaire will be facing a bigger opponent than him in 5’10” IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula (26-3-2, 14 KO’s) on July 7th at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California.

Donaire, 29, will still likely win the fight, because Mathebula has really faced mostly soft opposition during his career, but it’s at least a good step for Donaire to be fighting a bigger opponent than him.

Donaire has been frustrated as of late because his last two opponents Omar Narvaez and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. weren’t the come forward, defenseless type of opponents that Donaire has come to like facing. Donaire is like a cat that has become dialed in completely to eating on one kind of cat food. When try to change him up by putting in a different type of food, the cat doesn’t like it at all. We saw how Donaire struggled in his last two fights, and how he blamed his poor performances on his opponents rather than himself.

Instead of recognizing that he’s become one dimensional in his taste of opponents, Donaire has blamed his poor efforts on his opponents not standing right in front of him making it easy for him to tee off on them like they’re punching bags. Mathebula obviously has been well vetted by Donaire’s management, and will be the come forward type of opponent that Donaire needs for him to look good against.

However, Mathebula still may give the Filipino problems with his size and long reach if he fights smart. He’s got the size. The only question is whether Mathebula will fight a stupid fight that will allow Donaire to win. My guess is he will. They picked him out and they must know he’ll plod right into Donaire’s shots, making it easy for him.