Featherweight contender Diaz picking Santa Cruz over Frampton

Featherweight contender JoJo Diaz has a keen interest in the 126lbs title showdown between champion Leo Santa Cruz and Belfast’s Carl Frampton on July 30th.

Diaz [20(11)-0] fights Victor Proa on the same night in Los Angeles, but will be have his ears pricked for the result of a clash between two potential future opponents.

The Golden Boy starlet, a 2012 U.S. Olympian, is the current NABF champion and is expected to start challenging for titles in the near future.

Speaking to IFL TV, Diaz commented that “I’m very excited for the fight, it’s very unfortunate that I’m fighting on the same day.”

The 23 year old has sparred three-weight champ Santa Cruz in the past, and gave his insight into ‘El Terremoto,’ describing how “he’s very long and very rangy.”

“The first time I ever sparred him I wasn’t used to how long someone like him could be”

“Whenever he threw those combinations I’d try to pull out but he’d still hit me with those combinations.”

“It took me a couple of times to finally adapt to his style”

“I feel that Carl Frampton has never seen a guy that long, and a guy that aggressive, and a guy that’s going to be coming forward to him and putting on a lot of pressure on him with that kind of length.”

Therefore, Diaz is siding with his fellow Californian, reasoning that “I know that Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton are great fighters, but I have a feeling that Leo Santa Cruz is going to come out victorious.”

“I just feel like he’s going to be landing the more effective shots, and maybe even hurt Carl Frampton.

“I know for a fact that Leo Santa Cruz is going to come out victorious in that fight.”

Watch Diaz’s interview with IFL TV in full below: