By Terence Dooley

Mexico's Leo Santa Cruz (33-1-1, 18 KOs) has told Carl Frampton (23-1, 14 KOs) that he is willing to travel to Belfast at some point in 2018 as long as the money is right and providing he can arrange a Visa for his father, Jose. 

The 28-year-old beat “The Jackal” by majority decision in January to wrest back the WBA Super World featherweight belt that Frampton had taken from him on points last year.

He is making a defence against Abner Mares in October, a rematch of their August 2015 encounter, which Cruz won by a majority decision, but the 28-year-old is also open to an offer from Barry McGuigan’s Clones Cyclone promotional outfit for a trip to Northern Ireland.

“I would love to go over there but it is not just up to me,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.  “It is up to my team and my promoter and also my dad, who can't travel because he has no visa right now.  We're going to fix that first then I would love to go over there.”

Cruz also expressed his surprise at Frampton’s inability to make the featherweight limit for his WBC eliminator with Andres Gutierrez.  The Mexican visitor slipped getting into the bath, which made Frampton’s weight issue a moot point as the injuries he sustained meant that the fight was spiked late on Friday evening.  “If it had been me it would have to have been something big so I wouldn't make weight,” added Cruz.

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