Four-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz says he got overexcited and paid the price in his last bout against Baltimore star Gervonta Davis back in October 2020.
Santa Cruz was knocked out in devastating fashion by Davis in the sixth round of their bout in San Antonio, with the Mexican now set to return against Keenan Carbajal on February 5 in Las Vegas.
“I wanted to see how I felt in this training camp before making a decision about what weight I fight at in the future,” Santa Cruz said. “Now I’ve dropped the weight easily, so as long as everything goes well on February 5, I’ll be back at 126 in my next fight.
“I love fighting in Las Vegas, it’s like my second hometown. I have a lot of fans there. Plus, to be on a card this big with two great fighters in the main event is amazing, because I know they’re going to give a great fight.
“What’s in my head is giving an even better fight than the main event. This is a stacked card and I’m looking forward to being the fight of the night. It’s a big task.
“It was a bit hard for me after the knockout loss. But once I got back home and got encouragement from my fans, I felt better. I just got overexcited in the fight and Gervonta landed a good punch. I always want to entertain the fans. I had to pay for it this time, but I always will try to give fans a great fight.
“I think it’s better that I’m fighting a taller opponent. With a taller fighter, I know they have the reach, but I like to go toe-to-toe. I’m going to adjust in the ring. I’m confident and I know what I have to do in order to give a great performance.”