Carl Frampton says he has the 'psychological edge' over his challenger Leo Santa Cruz
Saturday 28 January 2017 15:32, UK
Carl Frampton insists he has the "psychological edge" over his opponent Leo Santa Cruz ahead of his WBA super featherweight rematch in Las Vegas.
Both boxers weighed a pound inside the limit at 125lbs. For Santa Cruz - the challenger - it was expected but deemed "a little light" by Sky Sports boxing expert Carl Froch.
Frampton is convinced last July's victory over Santa Cruz ensures he holds the "psychological edge" in this huge rematch in Las Vegas.
The 29-year-old makes the first defence of the title he won when inflicting the first defeat of Santa Cruz's career, via a majority decision, and has been recognised since as among the world's finest fighters.
"Going into this fight, I have the psychological edge," Frampton said in Vegas. "This is my second fight at featherweight, so I'm getting more used to the weight. I feel more comfortable overall this time.
"It means absolutely nothing to me that I am fighting him here. I am going to beat him again but this time more convincingly.
"Taking off four pounds to make super-bantamweight was affecting my performance. I prefer being up here at featherweight. I really feel like a different man.
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"I'm more happy with everything and I'm able to put a bit more into the sessions now but I can eat more."
Frampton - the more rounded of the two fighters and the one recognised as having the superior boxing IQ - won July's fight largely because of his ability to adjust.
Santa Cruz is one of the world's leading pressure fighters but is yet to demonstrate he can adapt in the same way as the champion, and therefore recognises only a career-best performance will allow him to succeed.
"I can use my distance and box if I wanted to," the 28-year-old said. "But I want to brawl. I'm going to do a little bit of everything.
"I'm going to be the smarter fighter. I need to really fight the best fight of my career. This is a huge fight and it's the main event in Las Vegas. This is what I dreamed of."
