ANAHEIM: Filipino bantamweight star Nonito Donaire stopped Ukranian Wladimiro Sidorenko in the fourth round Saturday to set up a February 19 world title showdown with Mexico's Fernando Montiel. Sidorenko was knocked to the canvas twice in the first three rounds and took a hard right to the nose in the fourth that prompted him to take a knee on the canvas. Referee Marcos Rosales halted the bout after 1:48 of the fourth round. Former world flyweight champion Donaire, 28, stretched his win streak to 24 fights over 9 1/2 years, improving to 25-1 with his 17th early stoppage. “We worked really hard for this fight,” Donaire said. “I was motivated and now the fight with Montiel is set. I knew I was able to dominate anybody if I'm motivated 100 percent.” Former World Boxing Association world bantamweight champion Sidorenko, 34, fell to 22-3 with two drawn after the first knockout loss of his career. His only prior losses were by decision to Panamanian southpaw Anselmo Moreno. In the co-feature between two Mexican opponents, Humberto Soto outlasted Mexican compatriot Urbano Antillon to win a 12-round unanimous decision and keep his World Boxing Council lightweight crown with a 10th victory in a row. Judges awarded Soto the triumph by two scores of 114-113 and a third of 115-112. Soto improved to 54-7 with two drawn and 7-1 in world title bouts while Antillon fell to 28-2 by losing his first world title fight.
