Carl Frampton Eyes Summer Clash With Lee Selby In Belfast
Carl Frampton Eyes Summer Clash With Lee Selby In Belfast
Carl Frampton Eyes Summer Clash With Lee Selby In Belfast
We are just a few weeks away from the WBA world featherweight title rematch between Carl Frampton and former champion Leo Santa Cruz, but the talk is already ramping up.
The Northern Irishman beat Santa Cruz in a thrilling fight in Brooklyn back in July after Frampton moved up a weight to take on the unbeaten Mexican in New York.
Santa Cruz was a strong favorite to retain his belt, but Frampton delivered a superb performance on the night for a famous victory decision victory with one judge scoring the contest a draw, but the other two scoring Frampton a clear winner.
With the rematch now set for January 28 at the MGM Grand Arena, Frampton has already made the move across the pond to get ready to defend his title for the first time against the former champion.
“When I fought him last time in New York we came out four weeks in advance so you don’t fix what isn’t broken,” Frampton told FightHype.com. “I’m just getting used to the time difference and they reckon you need a day for every hour that it is different so got to get used to it.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPB_94jgmSb/" hide_caption="0"]
“We are here early sparring and still we been here a few days but we are still getting over the jet lag, but I’ll get there.”
Having been taken to a majority decision the first time around, Frampton is expecting it to be a close affair again second time round. That said, the Northern Irishman doesn’t know what mental state Santa Cruz will be in this time around having lost his undefeated streak to him last July.
“I don’t know if Leo can do a lot different,” Frampton said. “That’s not being disrespectful to him, he’s a great fighter, but he’s very one paced. His one pace is very high and he likes to wear people out and he feels like he can get to them and break them down no matter who he’s fighting.
“He obviously feels that at some point in the fight the pace will be too much for them and he’ll get on top of them but with me in the last fight he wasn’t able to do that. I won the first half of the fight and he won a few rounds in the middle and I feel like I won the last few rounds so that’s something he’s not something he’s come up against before.
“I don’t know how his confidence is going to be coming into this fight but I know what to expect from him. He doesn’t know what to expect from me because I can adapt and change styles. I think it’s going to be a tough fight, but it’s one that I’m going to win.”
Should he beat Santa Cruz on Jan. 28, Frampton has his eyes on a busy 2017 and mentioned he’d be looking to step between the ropes twice more before the year is out.
“I’d like to get three fights in this year,” Frampton said. “I got two last year so since we are kicking on early on in the year I’d like to get another in during the summer in Belfast. I haven’t fought in Belfast for a while now so the plan is to beat Leo Santa Cruz and then fight potentially Lee Selby in Belfast in the summer, that would be a unification fight.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BO-FUhrg7Oh/" hide_caption="0"]
“I’d then maybe like to squeeze another fight in before the end of the year. That would probably be Stateside again, but I’ll just take it fight by fight really. That’s the plan but we will see what happens and we will know a little more after this fight has happened.
The Northern Irishman beat Santa Cruz in a thrilling fight in Brooklyn back in July after Frampton moved up a weight to take on the unbeaten Mexican in New York.
Santa Cruz was a strong favorite to retain his belt, but Frampton delivered a superb performance on the night for a famous victory decision victory with one judge scoring the contest a draw, but the other two scoring Frampton a clear winner.
Hitting Vegas early
With the rematch now set for January 28 at the MGM Grand Arena, Frampton has already made the move across the pond to get ready to defend his title for the first time against the former champion.
“When I fought him last time in New York we came out four weeks in advance so you don’t fix what isn’t broken,” Frampton told FightHype.com. “I’m just getting used to the time difference and they reckon you need a day for every hour that it is different so got to get used to it.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPB_94jgmSb/" hide_caption="0"]
“We are here early sparring and still we been here a few days but we are still getting over the jet lag, but I’ll get there.”
Doubting Santa Cruz’s confidence
Having been taken to a majority decision the first time around, Frampton is expecting it to be a close affair again second time round. That said, the Northern Irishman doesn’t know what mental state Santa Cruz will be in this time around having lost his undefeated streak to him last July.
“I don’t know if Leo can do a lot different,” Frampton said. “That’s not being disrespectful to him, he’s a great fighter, but he’s very one paced. His one pace is very high and he likes to wear people out and he feels like he can get to them and break them down no matter who he’s fighting.
“He obviously feels that at some point in the fight the pace will be too much for them and he’ll get on top of them but with me in the last fight he wasn’t able to do that. I won the first half of the fight and he won a few rounds in the middle and I feel like I won the last few rounds so that’s something he’s not something he’s come up against before.
“I don’t know how his confidence is going to be coming into this fight but I know what to expect from him. He doesn’t know what to expect from me because I can adapt and change styles. I think it’s going to be a tough fight, but it’s one that I’m going to win.”
Eyeing up Selby in Belfast this summer
Should he beat Santa Cruz on Jan. 28, Frampton has his eyes on a busy 2017 and mentioned he’d be looking to step between the ropes twice more before the year is out.
“I’d like to get three fights in this year,” Frampton said. “I got two last year so since we are kicking on early on in the year I’d like to get another in during the summer in Belfast. I haven’t fought in Belfast for a while now so the plan is to beat Leo Santa Cruz and then fight potentially Lee Selby in Belfast in the summer, that would be a unification fight.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BO-FUhrg7Oh/" hide_caption="0"]
“I’d then maybe like to squeeze another fight in before the end of the year. That would probably be Stateside again, but I’ll just take it fight by fight really. That’s the plan but we will see what happens and we will know a little more after this fight has happened.