Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz: Fight Date Announced, Comments and Reaction

Carl Frampton will reportedly challenge Leo Santa Cruz for the WBA super world featherweight title on July 30 in New York, it was announced on Thursday. 

PA Sport noted the details of the bout on its Twitter feed, with the fight to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, per BBC Sport. Frampton will be seeking to make history on the night, as he bids to become the first Northern Irishman to win world titles in different weight classes.

“This is the fight I wanted—me and my team have been chasing it for a long, long time,” Frampton said of the bout, per BBC Sport. “I'm 100 per cent confident that the belt will be coming home to Belfast. It is the one my manager Barry McGuigan held 30 years ago. Santa Cruz is a strong and aggressive undefeated champion but his style is made for me.”

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Santa Cruz comes into the bout as a three-weight world champion and has never lost in his 33 professional fights. His last defence of the WBA belt was against Kiko Martinez earlier this year.

Frampton unified the super bantamweight belts in February when he beat Scott Quigg via split decision in Manchester. The Northern Irishman was later stripped of the WBA title, though, as he opted not to face mandatory challenger Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Santa Cruz posted the following on his Twitter feed confirming the date of the contest:

Frampton will be moving up in weight for this one, having faced Quigg at super bantamweight. It’ll be the first time he’s fought at the featherweight limit, and having retained his previous title against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. on American soil in July 2015, he will be confident of extending his immaculate 22-fight professional record.