Nonito Donaire 'Came Up Completely Blank' After First Knockdown From Naoya Inoue

Nonito Donaire again sought to be the first man to ever defeat the Japanese buzzsaw that is the undefeated Naoya Inoue when the pair met on Tuesday, June 7 for their long-awaited rematch at the Saitama Super Arena in a bantamweight unification bout.

However, Inoue once again proved his weight in gold by ending Donaire’s night with a flurry of combinations before finishing him off with a three-punch combination in the middle of the second round.

It would turn out to be the second knockdown of the night as the first saw Donaire eating a massive right hand to his temple that sent him down to the canvass and seemingly unaware of his surroundings for a while.

“When I got hit, I didn’t even know I got dropped. I didn’t see that punch because I was trying to counter him and got caught. That was pretty much it,” Donaire revealed after the fight on the latest installment of his Beyond The Ring with Nonito and Rachel YouTube channel.

“I will pretty much say that was the hardest punch I’ve ever been hit with. That first [knockdown], I came up completely blank… All of a sudden I was on the floor and [referee Michael Griffin] was counting me.”

It was certainly a knockdown with a ton of power behind it since Donaire got hit on the temple with a well-placed cross from “The Monster,” and “The Filipino Flash” did not look the same since.

Donaire has long established himself as one of the most prominent boxers in the Philippines in the modern era and that distinction has not changed despite the two losses from Inoue.

The 39-year-old Filipino accepted the outcome of the fight and is grateful that he did not suffer any injuries during the fight.

“It is what it is. I’m very grateful that I’m healthy,” he shared.