NONITO Donaire Jr. expects a brawl once he gets inside the ring against dangerous Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-bantamweight title this weekend.

The 29-year-old Filipino sees Vazquez, namesake and son of the former three-time world champion, as a fighter who doesn’t back down and made in the same mold as Mexican Fernando Montiel, whom Donaire demolished in just two rounds in winning the WBO and World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight titles a year ago.

“They have good form, good movement, and it’s easy to read because they are somewhat text book,” said Donaire as training in Las Vegas reaches its tail-end.

“But I can’t take him lightly because he’s very determined to beat me. So he’ll pull everything in his arsenal to try to do that,” he added. “When you have two guys who are in good form, who know their basics from jabs to straight, it’s usually you will see a great fight, great opening.”

The two exciting fighters slug it out this Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) at the Alamodome, San Antonio, the same arena where the great Manny Pacquiao upset legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera in a non-title, featherweight bout nine years ago.

Donaire however, doesn’t see himself ending up the way Barrera did against Pacquiao.

“I want to look great, I want to look awesome, I want to look fast, and I want to look fantastic,” said the `Filipino Flash.’

That Donaire is taking such a mindset is understandable.

He was stretched to the limits in his last fight, going the distance and scoring a lopsided unanimous decision against Andres Narvaez of Argentina in a lackluster title match fought at the acknowledged Mecca of Boxing -- Madison Square Garden.

With no serious opponent at the 118-lbs division and having the problem again, of making the weight, Donaire decided to move up to the next level.

And he admitted, fighting as a super-bantamweight is close to his natural weight.

“I think I feel much better because I don't have to cut that much. It's more close to fighting at my real weight right now,” said the California-based fighter who won his first world title as a flyweight following a stunning fifth-round knockout of fearsome Vic Darchinyan for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) championship in 2007.

Born in Talibon, Bohol, Donaire has a record of 27-1, with 18 KOs. He has not lost since absorbing a unanimous decision against Rosendo Sanchez in March 2001.

But Vazquez is just as impressive.

Sporting a 21-1 record, including 18 KOs, the 27-year-old from Bayamon, Puerto Rico’s lone setback came at the hands of former world champion Jorge Arce of Mexico, losing via a 12th round technical knockout for the WBO super-bantamweight crown in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Sugar Shane Mosley title fight last year.

Vazquez has since rebounded from the loss, making short work of Roberto Carlos Leyva in just three rounds last October.

Ironically, Vazquez won his first world title by beating a Filipino in Marvin Sonsona in 2010, scoring a sensational fourth round knockout.

“He’s a great fighter. My mentality is well prepared, but he is a tough guy. He’s got power as well as decent speed,” said Donaire of his opponent.