On July 30, Leo Santa Cruz lost in New York his WBA Super World Featherweight belt and his unbeaten record in a controversial majority decision that favored British boxer Carl Frampton.
On January 28, 2017, Santa Cruz (32-1-1) will finally have the revenge fight he wants against Frampton (23-0). The second fight between these two featherweight boxers will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Santa Cruz has made public the fact the fact that from the moment the first fight ended and the controversial decision was announced all he thinks about is getting his revenge. He made it his mission to regain the belt and the loss motivated him more than ever to return to the gym.
The 28-year-old Santa Cruz had won 31 straight fights before his loss to Frampton and throughout his career, he’s knocked out 53 percent of his opponents.
Frampton, a Belfast native, said he would have to be crazy to reject fighting Santa Cruz again and is looking forward to the fight because the Mexican proved to be the best fighter he’s ever faced and consequently deserves to have a chance to get his revenge.
Even though the Briton knocks out 61 percent of his opponents, he’s had to resort to the cards in four of his last five fights. Of those, he’s won two by unanimous decision, one by majority decision and one by split decision.
The other fight in the card will feature Montenegrin Dejan Zlaticanin (22-0, 15 KO) making the first title defense of his recently-won championship against Californian challenger Mikey Garcia (35-0, 29 KO).
Zlaticanin, who knocks out 68 percent of the boxers he faces, scored a third-round TKO against Bolivian Franklin Manami in his last fight on June 11.
Garcia, who has knocked 83 percent of his opponents, has not stepped in the ring since July 30 when he defeated Dominican Elio Rojas with a fifth-round TKO at the Barclays Center in New York.
That was Garcia’s first fight in more than two years due to a contract dispute with his promoter Top Rank Boxing. Although Garcia stopped boxing while he fought in court for his rights to become a free agent, he has now settled the dispute and is ready to make up for his lost time and money by showing he can overcome Zlaticanin and start winning championships once again.
