LAS VEGAS – Miguel Flores was reminded Tuesday that MGM Grand Garden Arena was the site of the third unforgettable battle between Mexican legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.

The 15-year anniversary of that fantastic fight will come four days after Flores faces Leo Santa Cruz at that same venue Saturday night. Flores wasn’t about to mention himself and Santa Cruz in the same sentence as boxing royalty like Barrera and Morales, but he expects that they’ll produce a very fan-friendly fight on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz undercard.

“I’m not even gonna put our name in those lines,” Flores told PBC announcer Ray Flores during their grand arrivals at MGM Grand. “But I’m expecting a war like [Barrera-Morales III]. I know he’s a great fighter, comes forward, a Mexican like me. But it’s only gonna produce fireworks for you guys.”

The Barrera-Morales rubber match, which Barrera won by majority decision, was named “Fight of the Year” for 2004 by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 KOs) is an overwhelming favorite over Flores (24-2, 12 KOs) in their 12-round fight for the vacant WBA “super” 130-pound championship. Still, he, too, anticipates an action-packed brawl with Flores.

“[I expect] the same, you know, a war,” Santa Cruz told BoxingScene.com. “He’s the type of fighter that likes to give a show to the fans. That’s what I like to do, too, so we’re gonna be, I think, trading power punches back and forth. And we’re both gonna be in the middle of the ring, you know, going back and forth. He’s not gonna move; I’m not gonna run. I think we’re both gonna be in there, trading punches, and it’s gonna be a great war.”

The 31-year-old Santa Cruz, a three-division champion from Rosemead, California, will make his debut at the super featherweight limit of 130 pounds. Houston’s Flores feels he’ll have size and strength advantages once they step into the ring, yet he knows Santa Cruz will provide the toughest test of his 10-year pro career.

“He’s a come-forward fighter,” Flores said. “He likes to throw shots and I’m not gonna avoid an exchange. So, we’re gonna be there, toe-to-toe, and it’s gonna produce a great fight.”

Santa Cruz-Flores is the co-featured fight of FOX Sports’ four-bout broadcast. The telecast is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and costs $74.95 to view in HD. 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.