IBF world featherweight champion Lee Selby targets Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares

IBF world featherweight champion Lee Selby will attend Leo Santa Cruz v Abner Mares this weekend with a view to fighting both.

Selby (21-1-KO8) will fly out to Los Angeles along with his brother Andrew and trainer Chris Sanigar having recently joined with US-based advisor Al Haymon.

The 28-year-old produced a career-best performance on May 30 to relieve Evgeny Gradovich of his world title via an eighth-round stoppage and while he is yet to confirm the identity of his first challenger, is open to the possibility of taking on Santa Cruz (30-0-1-KO17) and Mares (29-1-1-KO15) next year.

In an interview published on boxingnews247.com, Selby said: "Both Mares and Santa Cruz are advised by Al Haymon so I definitely think that I can fight one or both of them over the next 12 months.

"The fight between them will be all action as both are Mexican warriors and I'm still on the fence about who's going to win.

The fight between them will be all action as both are Mexican warriors and I'm still on the fence about who's going to win.

"I feel it is important to watch potential opponents in the flesh, ringside you can get a better understanding of the boxer than on TV.

"I did the same before I challenged Gradovich for the world title travelling to Omaha to watch him fight Jayson Velez. After the fight we plan on staying in LA for a week for some top quality sparring."

Having worked to a unanimous points decision over Jose Cayetano on his featherweight debut in February, former bantamweight and super-bantamweight champion Santa Cruz is aiming to win a chance to face WBC world featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr.

Standing in his way is three-division world champion Mares, who lost the WBC featherweight crown in August 2013 when he was shocked in the first round by Jhonny Gonzalez.