By Mark Vester

Nick Durandt, who trains South African flyweight Moruti Mthalane, has accused referee Joe Cortez of being swindled by IBF flyweight champ Nonito Donaire during last weekend's defense against Mthalane in Las Vegas. 

The fight was stopped in the sixth-round when Cortez called a halt to the action so the ringside doctor could take a look at Mthalane's cut. When the doctor saw the cut was inside of Mthalane's eyelid, he stopped the contest and Donaire was given a TKO victory. Durandt Claims that his fighter was starting to take over the fight as Donaire began to tire. He claims that Donaire told Cortez to have Mthalane checked by the doctor, looking for a way out. Durandt believes that Mthalane would have won if the fight had continued. Along with being a trainer, Durandt is also an experienced cutman. He claims the cut was not deep enough to stop the fight and they would have had it under control.

“As I told you our fight strategy was to survive the first five rounds and launch an attack in the second half because we knew Donaire is very strong in the opening stanza of the fight,” Durandt told The Dispatch. 

“Donaire threw all his punches and my boy took them well in a very competitive first five rounds. By the time the fight entered the sixth round Mthalane was ready to push Donaire all the way and the Filipino was already gasping for air. It took me by surprise that a referee of Cortez’s calibre could allowed himself to be influenced by the fighter.”

Mthalane’s promoter Branco Milenkovic told the paper that he asked the IBF to put Mthalane in line to fight for the vacant title if Donaire makes his planned move to super flyweight.

“I asked the IBF not to demote him in the ratings especially as the end of his fight against Donaire was a tad premature,” Milenkovic said.

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