“Proper featherweight” Carl Frampton wont be bullied by Leo Santa Cruz

Carl Frampton [23(14)-0] is feeling bigger and better than ever ahead of his WBA featherweight title rematch with Leo Santa Cruz next weekend in Las Vegas.

‘The Jackal’ defends his belt for the first time on Saturday January 28th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in what will be his second championship fight at 126lbs. His first was the pair’s initial meeting last Summer in New York, and Frampton feels that he is better adjusted to the weight this time round.

That night at the Barclays Centre saw Frampton, who weighed in at 125.25lbs beforehand, hurt Leo Santa Cruz in the second round en-route to a majority decision win.

While their first meeting was uncharted territory for the Ulsterman in terms of the weight, the scientific scrapper believes he has developed into the class since then.

Speaking in Shawn Porter’s Las Vegas Gym at a media workout, Frampton stressed that size will matter come fight night. The Belfast boxer noted how the rangey Santa Cruz was not, and will not, be able to bully him, and the 29 year old described how “he’s always been bigger than his opponents. At both bantamweight and super bantamweight he was bigger.”

“Even though Leo is taller than me, I’m the bigger man. On fight night I’ll be heavier and stronger than him. He’s been able to bully opponents and wear them out, but he can’t do that to me.”

“I feel like I’m developing, developing into a proper featherweight and I feel like he’s going to be in for a tough night.”

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Joe O’Neill and Gavan Casey look ahead to 2017 in episode 1 of The Irish Boxing Show