WBC super-flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada believes his long-awaited, March 13 rematch with WBA ‘Super’ champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez will be a better fight with a different outcome.
Back in November 2012, Nicaraguan maestro Gonzalez (50-2, 41 KOs) outpointed Estrada in a WBA light-flyweight title clash in Los Angeles and the Mexican has chased a return ever since. Now two weight divisions higher, Estrada (41-3, 28 KOs) is the fighter with momentum and has been installed as the pre-fight favourite with current odds of 8/11 at Betfred.
Estrada believes he will prove a stronger proposition eight years later at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and the sequel should provide more thrills than their original encounter.
“I am stronger and have more desire than the first fight,” said Estrada. “We are both champions and we are going to want to win this fight. In the first fight, I was 21 years old and I had no experience of big international fights, he was a pound-for-pound star at that time but now I think this time it favours me.
“We are fighting two weight classes above the first fight, so it is already very different. I know that I can win this time. I know it’s a tough fight and I think it will be a better fight, but I have already faced him, I know his qualities and I feel that I can beat a fighter who has been knocked out.”