Frampton flies to America and promises to return with ‘shiny new belt’

Carl Frampton is en-route to New York today (Monday) as he changes things up for his WBA Featherweight World title clash with Leo Santa Cruz.

‘The Jackal’ will challenge the three-weight World champion in the Barclays Center in New York on July 30 and is giving himself plenty of time Stateside to prepare for the massive clash.

The undefeated Belfast fighter with two weight World champ aspirations gave himself 11 days to acclimatise for his American debut against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr last year and claimed the lack of lead in time affected his performance levels.

Frampton admits lessons were learned from that first American experience and as a result he will give himself over 25 days lead in time to a clash that offers him a chance to stake a pound for pound claim.

“I am going over early for the fight as we learned a few lessons from my fight in El Paso. I want to get there early to make sure I get over the travelling and get used to the time zone in New York,” he said.

“This is the biggest fight of my life and I have to be ready. It is hard leaving my wife Christine and my two kids Carla and Rossa, but these are the sacrifices you have to make.

“Preparation is going well and I am looking to the fight. I am confident I can win become a two weight world champion,” he added.

The next time I’m on a flight I’ll be bringing a shiny new belt back home to Belfast #AndTheNew #2WeightWorldChamp pic.twitter.com/VoFnGItdCy

— Carl Frampton MBE (@RealCFrampton) July 4, 2016