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November 28, 2015 Milan Melindo vs Victor Emanuel Olivo at Hoops Dome, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines

Milan Melindo vs Victor Olivo was among the headline fights at the ALA Promotions’ Pinoy Pride 34. The fight was staged at the Hoops Dome located in Lapu-Lapu City in the Philippines and the two were contesting in the super flyweight division (115 lbs., 52.2 kg). Milan Melindo edged out Mexican Victor Olivo through a split-decision. Melindo won by tallies on two cards with a score of 115-113. The third card had Olivo edging Melindo with the same score.
Going into this fight, Milan Melindo had a fight record of 32 wins and 2 losses with 12 of the wins being knockouts. He was ranked 19th in the flyweight division and had come off a loss against Javier Mendoza in his last fight. Melindo was determined to come back against two controversial defeats in his quest for a world title. Victor Olivo entered the fight as a late replacement for Carlos Fontes. Going into this fight, the 19-year-old highly rated prospect had an unbeaten record of 9 wins with four of those knockouts. However, he had not faced any noteworthy opponents.

Although Olivo hadn’t faced a fighter of Melindo’s caliber yet, he did not seem to be fazed by the occasion. He was quite dangerous in the first 3 rounds. He constantly rocked Melindo with right jabs at every opportunity he could get. Whenever Melindo was in range or closed the gap, Olivo was quick to throw a jab.
In round 4, Melindo was able to create the distance he wanted and he continually backed up Olivo while throwing fast counter punches. Olivo would however remain in contention as Melindo’s jabs lacked sufficient power. This was how the fight churned out up to round 7.
In round 8, Melindo threw a highlight reel punch, a right punch catching Olivo while he himself was trying to throw his own right punch. This was probably Melindo’s best thrown punch in the fight. Olivo stumbled for the first time in the fight, but he quickly regained his step and threw counter jabs. Youthful exuberance perhaps.

By this point, Melindo’s face had battle scars while Olivo’s was barely scratched. This tells the story of Melindo, who always fights for entertainment and not just defense. After the fight, Melindo talked about how he does not fight only for victory but also for the fans worldwide who love boxing and love seeing a good show. However, Melindo put in a good shift in rounds 9 and 10, with Olivo getting the heat and getting outworked.
After the fight, ALA Promotions’ president, Michael Aldeguer, said that Melindo had allowed the fight to become much closer than it should have been. He was of the opinion that Melindo could have executed more and could easily have lost the fight altogether. One is very inclined to agree with Mr. Aldeguer having seen the fight. Olivo put in an excellent shift but one always got the feeling that Melindo was letting him on. With his experience, Olivo wasn’t supposed to have given him such a hard time and a scarred face. However, it was a good experience for Olivo, who experienced his first fight with a notable opponent. Watch out for this young guy who’s quite an interesting prospect.

Fight Result: Melindo by SD

Judges Scores: Salven Lagumbay 96-94, Edgar Olalo 96-94, Edward Ligas 94-96