Senators congratulated boxer Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire despite his loss against Mexican-American Jessie Magdaleno in unanimous decision Sunday morning (Manila time) at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We hold our head high for our kababayan, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, who lost the WBO super bantamweight to challenger Jessie Magdaleno,” Senator Nancy Binay said in a statement.

Binay said that Donaire, who is 33 years old, showed that he could still compete against younger opponents like 24 year-old Magdaleno.

“Nonito showed us that we remain graceful in defeat, never losing hope and striving to get back up on our feet against adversity,” the senator added.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on his official Twitter account pointed out that Magdaleno’s win was due to a “youth advantage” and noted that he still fought “like a true warrior.”

The bout between Donaire and Magdaleno lasted for 12 rounds where the judges decided in favor of Magdaleno, 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110.

This makes Magdaleno the new WBO world super bantamweight champion. (PNA)