By Ryan Burton
BoxingScene.com and Jose Martino of BoxeoMundial.com recently caught up with WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz, who takes on former super flyweight champion Christian Mijares on Saturday, as part of the pay-per-view undercard that will support the Canelo Alvarez-Alfredo Angulo clash. The fight takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be distributed by Showtime.
The undefeated Santa Cruz said that he had a very good camp and plans on putting on a great performance. He also revealed that he had helped Jose Navarro get ready for his 2008 fight against Mijares. Mijares won the fight by split decision and Sant Cruz said that he had always wanted to face him.
"I feel good. I feel very strong. I trained very hard in the gym and we are going to go in there on Saturday and hopefully get the win. I watched him fight a lot earlier in my career. I even helped Jose Navarro spar when he was going to fight Mijares. I was a young fighter but I thought maybe down the road I will be able to fight him for a belt or something. Now the day has come and I am very excited," Santa Cruz stated.
Santa Cruz fought three times last year after fighting five times the year before. Saturday will mark his first ring appearance of what he hopes is another busy year.
"For me the more fights the better. Hopefully I get four fights this year but at least three. If I don't get hurt or anything I would like to fight every three months," said Santa Cruz.
The all-action fighter finished our conversation by saying that he hopes to defend his a few more times before moving up to the featherweight division. Santa Cruz's name has been linked with former three-division champion Abner Mares but he said that he would like to face Guillermo Rigondeaux, who is regarded as the best fighter in the division, and/or Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg who both are based in the United Kingdom, before moving up in weight.
"Hopefully I win on Saturday then I want to do one or two more defenses versus Carl Frampton, Scott Quigg or even Rigondeaux if the promoters can make it happen before I move up. I am willing to fight all of those guys then move up and fight Abner Mares or Jhonny Gonzalez," Santa Cruz told BoxingScene.com.
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