Michael Zerafa has opened up on his decision to hire future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire as a trainer for the biggest fight of his career – while also explaining both his decision to split with US promoter Elvis Grant and now share a Las Vegas blockbuster with famed arch rival Tim Tszyu.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia over the weekend, Zerafa revealed Donaire is jetting into Australia to begin preparations for his showdown with WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara on Sunday, March 31 (AEST).

After having spent more than a year as mandatory, ‘Pretty Boy’ will finally throw down on a Las Vegas blockbuster that also sees Tim Tszyu square off against American superstar Keith Thurman.

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In a surprise twist to his preparations, Zerafa will spend the entire build up working with Donaire – both in Melbourne and then at the famed DLX Boxing gym in the world’s fight capital.

Asked about the new pairing, the Australian said he and the ‘Filipino Flash’ – who has won multiple titles across four weight classes — initially met at a 2022 WBA convention and “immediately clicked”.

Zerafa said that given Donaire, like Lara, is a southpaw, he feels the 41-year-old is the perfect person to help him break down the world champ.

The challenger also talked about the irony of he and Tszyu sharing and explained his recent decision to split with US promoter Grant, who doubles as the founder and CEO of Grant boxing gloves.

But the most interesting news is the partnership with Donaire, who will spend the next three weeks working with Zerafa’s Australian-based crew at Team Ellis gym in Melbourne.

Asked about the new partnership, Zerafa said: “We met at a WBA convention and, immediately, clicked.

“At that stage, I was already the mandatory for Lara’s title and he said to me ‘look, when that opportunity does comes up, I’d love to work with you’.

“Given he’s a southpaw, has fought multiple southpaws … Nonito just said he would love to become that extra piece of arsenal in my preparation.

“So we’ve stayed in touch ever since.”

While Zerafa initially planned to spend the US portion of his camp at Brickhouse gym in North Hollywood, he will now instead be based with Donaire at DLX in Las Vegas.

So invested is Donaire, he has already sorted for the DLX gym to be locked down when the Australian is there – aware that Lara on his own team train only a few kilometres away.

Donaire has also stressed any filming be banned.

It was also on the legend’s advice that Zerafa decided to skip last week’s US press conference to announce the fight.

“He (Donaire) just said to me ‘it’s not worth it’,” Zerafa explains.

“The promoters had offered to fly me over to America, and then all the way back again, in the same day.

“But for what? Twenty minutes?

“That doesn’t benefit me.

“Honestly, I don’t care about people getting to know me at a press conference.

“They’ll know me when I win the world title.”

Donaire (42-8) has twice faced, and beaten Aussie great Vic Darchinyan, while more recently has had two massive fights against Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue — both losses.

The legend has also been linked several times over the past year to a massive showdown with Australian WBO bantamweight champ Jason Moloney.

Pushed on Donaire’s influence, Zerafa continued: “He’s shared the ring with some of the most dangerous fighters in the world.

“Also, his expertise is in how to break down a southpaw and we’ve already spent hours together doing that, breaking down Lara.

“With our personalities too, we get on like a house on fire. And that is so important.

“Because you can have the best trainer in the world, but if there is a personality clash – a clash of egos – it’s just not going to work.

“But he and I, we’re always having a good time at training.

“Forever taking the piss out of each other.

“And when I’m in a good mode, I’m a dangerous fighter.”

Quizzed about spying concerns, especially given Lara also trains in Las Vegas, the Aussie continued: “Nonito has already organised the gym so that when I train there, it’s locked down, there’s no filming.

“Which is great.

“(Laughs) Although to be honest, it still hasn’t really kicked in yet.

“Given the fact I’ve been Lara’s mandatory for 13 months, I’m still waiting for a call from someone saying ‘nah we’re joking, the fight is off’.

“Just because of all the s… I’ve been through, I won’t believe it until the first bell for the first round.

“But honestly, I am just so grateful for this opportunity.

“World title, Las Vegas … doesn’t get much bigger than this.”

And as for fighting on the same card as his great arch rival Tszyu?

“We can’t get away from each other,” Zerafa grinned.

“I just feel like it’s going to be destiny, me and him.

“But for this upcoming fight, I definitely wish him all the best.

“Right now, I’m not thinking about Tim Tszyu in the slightest.”

And as for the split with Grant?

“I can’t speak too much on it other than to say I feel like self-management is the best way for things to go for me moving forward,” he said.

Pushed on the issue, he said: “It got to a point there where things weren’t getting done or when they did it was myself (sorting it).

“So you start to think ‘why am I paying somebody to do something I’m doing?’.

“Sometimes the manager needs to realise his name isn’t bigger than the fighter and, in the end, we just arrived at a mutual decision of ‘you go your way and I’ll go mine’.”

Asked about Lara, he said: “He’s a guy with great boxing IQ who, at his peak, was a mover, and never really engaged in wars.

“I feel like he will still have all that.

“And he’s fresh.

“He is not a beat up, broken down 40-year-old.

“I’ve been tracking him for a while, watching what he’s up to, and he’s a guy who is always in the gym, always sparring, always working.

“And he’s confident.

“I cannot wait.”