Santa Cruz disputes Frampton loss – “A close fight goes to the champion.”

Leo Santa Cruz believes that he should have been given the victory in his WBA featherweight title defence against Carl Frampton last month.

The Mexican-American feels it was a close fight but, due to him being the defending champion, he should have been given the nod by the judges.

Santa Cruz lost the bout at the Barclays Centre in New York on a majority decision (111-117, 112-116, 114-114) to ‘The Jackal.’

‘El Terremoto’ told ES News that “It is what it is.”

“It was a great night.”

“In truth it was a pretty close fight and it could have gone either way.”

“They say I’m the champion and you have to beat the champion really easily or you have to knock him out.”

“A close fight goes to the champion.”

The 28 year old, who lives in the American city of Los Angeles, feels that the fight being held in the American city of New York favoured Belfast’s Frampton, due to the vocal Irish-American fans who attended the bout alongside the travelling Irish support.

Santa Cruz described how “I think so [location favoured Frampton].”

“I don’t want to use it as an excuse or nothing, he had more, the Irish people were screaming every time he threw a punch, everything, whether he hit or not, they screamed at everything.”

“It was still a close fight and it could of gone either way, but as I was the champion, I think it should have gone to me.”

“But it is what it is.”