By Sean Jones: Manny Pacquiao took to social media to congratulate Nonito Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs) on his fourth-round knockout victory over WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali (17-1, 12 KOs) at the Dignity Health Park in Carson, California.

The victory for the 38-year-old Donaire made him the oldest fighter to capture a bantamweight title. Donaire overcame the odds, which were stacked against him with the oddsmakers favoring WBC champion Oubaali.

Donaire stalked the two-time Olympian Oubaali around the ring in the first two rounds and then dropped him in round two with a perfectly timed left hook to the head.

Later in the round, Donaire knocked Oubaali down in a controversial fashion in hitting him with a left hook in what appeared to come after the bell had sounded to end the round.

Oubaali was so hurt that he looked drunk as he spoke to the referee after getting up.

Congrats Nonito Donaire on a huge KO win! The oldest WBC bantamweight champion in history. Still living up to your nickname, the Flash! #PinoyPride 🇵🇭

— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) May 30, 2021

Oubaali’s corner should have stopped the fight

In the condition that Oubaali was in as he stumbled back to his corner, there was no chance for him to make it through the fourth. Oubaali’s corner should have stopped the fight in between rounds rather than sending him out for the fourth round.

In the fourth round, Donaire teed off on the still hurt Oubaali until knocked him out with a right-left combination.

Oubaali lacked the punching power to keep Donaire off of him the way he needed to after he was dropped twice in the third.

The condition that Oubaali was in after the third round, it’s unclear why his corner chose to send him out for the fourth round.

Donaire wants Inoue rematch

With this win, Donaire now has two possible options for him in his next fight.

He says he wants a rematch with IBF/WBA bantamweight champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue, but he has to wait for him to defend against Michael Dasmarinas next month on June 19th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Inoue is expected to easily beat Dasmarinas in their match on ESPN. However, we’ll have to wait to see if Inoue wants to fight Donaire or go in another direction.

The other option for Donaire is to face the winner of the August 14th match between WBO 118-lb champion John Riel Casimero and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Donaire lost to Rigondeaux (20-1, 13 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision in April 2013. However, Rigondeaux is 40-years-old now, and not the fighter that he was in 2013 when he beat Donaire.

It’s likely Casimero will defeat Rigondeaux, which would set up a unification match between him and Donaire if he chooses to go in that direction.

Nonito was willing to sacrifice getting hit

“Everything is easier for me when I have a technically sound guy in front of me,” said Donaire at the post-fight press conference about his win over Oubaali.

“If you’re a little bit awkward and hard to get, and that makes it difficult.

“He was difficult because he’s a really good fighter. You don’t become a world champion by not being a good fighter. He was great. I had to figure out what to do to sacrifice. I had to kind of figure out what I needed to do to sacrifice.

“I said to myself that it was hard for me to land my punch. I had to sacrifice getting hit by a straight [from Oubaali] to land my hook, and that’s what happened. I tasted his power, and I was like, ‘I can do this. I can definitely do this.’

“That’s when I timed it and created that space and distance. When he threw that straight, I was able to land that left hook.

“The main thing was, I was in the greater distance. If I was in a little bit closer, the impact wouldn’t have been bigger,” said Donaire.