By Jake Donovan

Simpiwe Vetyeka makes the first defense of his featherwiegh title, as he takes on former three-division champ Nonito Donaire.

The bout headlines an eight-fight card at the Venetian Macao in Macau, China, and will air via same-day tape-delay on HBO. Three featherweight title fights in all appear on the show.

Vetyeka (26-2, 16KO) came in at a comfortable 125.5 lb. for his first fight since upsetting long-reigning champ Chris John after six rounds last December. Donaire (32-2, 21KO) came in right at the 126 lb. featherweight limit, immediately gulping down a bottle of water after successfully making weight. 

Donaire made his featherweight debut in his last fight, though struggling mightily with former two-division champ Vic Darchinyan before stopping him in the 9th round of their rematch last September. As tough as it was, the feat still topped his lone other appearance of 2013, when he was thoroughly outboxed by Guillermo Rigondeaux to end his 122 lb. title reign, as well as a 30-fight win streak dating back to his second pro bout.

In the chief support, Nicholas Walters (23-0, 19KO) defends his version of the featherweight title for the second time as he faces former two-division champ Vic Darchinyan (39-6-1, 28KO). 

Walters came in at a ripped 125.5 lb; Darchinyan looked solid at 125.75 lb.

Also on the show, Evgeny Gradovich (18-0, 9KO) defends versus Alex Miskirtchian. The bout marks Gradovich's third title defense, all of which have taken place in Macau since upsetting Billy Dib last March.

Both fighters came in at 125.5 lb.

FULL CARD
Simpiwe Vetyeka, 125.5 lb. (26-2, 16KO) vs. Nonito Donaire (32-2, 21KO), 126 lb. - 12 rounds, featherweight Nicholas Walters, 125.5 lb. (23-0, 19KO) vs. Vic Darchinyan (39-6-1, 28KO), 125.75 lb. - 12 rounds, featherweight
Chris Avalos (23-2, 17KO), 121.5 lb. vs. Yasutaka Ishimoto (24-6, 7KO), 121.8 lb. - 12 rounds, super bantamweight
Evgeny Gradovich (18-0, 9KO), 125.5 lb. vs. Alexander Miskirtchian (24-2-0-1NC, 9KO). 125.5 lb. - 12 rounds, featherweight
Rex Tso (12-0, 8KO), 116.5 lb. vs. Ratchasak Kokietgym (22-2-1, 10KO), 115 lb. - 10 rounds, super flyweight
Yang Ik (14-0, 9KO), 137.5 lb. vs. Geisler Ap (5-1, 3KO), 138.5 lb. - 8 rounds, super lightweight
Esquiva Falcao (2-0, 1KO), 161.5 lb. vs. Eun-Chang Lee (7-3, 3KO), 162 lb. - 6 rounds, middleweight
Kuok Kun Ng (3-0, 1KO), 152 lb. vs. Muhammad Imam (9-4, 3KO), 147 lb. - 6 rounds, super welterweight

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox