Carl Frampton is convinced he can overcome Leo Santa Cruz and claim the WBA title on Saturday night in New York after stepping up to featherweight.
The Northern Irishman says he has been chasing the WBA king since 2013 and he is delighted to finally have a chance to take on the three-weight world champion.
Frampton vacated his IBF and WBA super-bantamweight titles to secure a showdown with the Mexican and he thinks Santa Cruz, 27, has underestimated him.
The 29-year-old feels his clash with Alejandro Gonzalez in July 2015 helped secure a fight with Santa Cruz.
Frampton was sent to the canvas twice in the first round by Gonzalez in El Paso before recovering to win by unanimous decision – and he believes the Santa Cruz camp have read too much into that performance.
“I have only got this fight because of the Gonzalez fight,” Frampton told the Belfast Telegraph.
“I have been chasing Santa Cruz since 2013, deals were talked about and then he moved up and then there was the Gonzalez fight – they think it is safe now, they have convinced themselves that I will have nothing at the new weight. They are mad.
“Moving up to 126 pounds was definitely the right decision for me. I’m a big puncher but I lost power coming down to 122 pounds. I’m going to be punching harder and be at my very best.”
Frampton is 3.00 to beat Santa Cruz this weekend. A draw is 29.00 and the Mexican is available at 1.36.
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