Carl Frampton will make the first defense of his IBF super bantamweight title on February 28. The Oddesy Arena in Frampton’s hometown of Belfast will host the fight. This will be Frampton’s sixth appearance at that arena.
The ‘Jackal’ will face mandatory challenger Chris Avalos. Avalos, who has a record of 25-2 with 19 KOs, is the mandatory challenger for the IBF title. The American was already in that position when Kiko Martinez held the title, but he got paid step aside money to enable the lucrative rematch between Martinez and Frampton last September.
The fight was made official yesterday at a press conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During this press conference, Frampton acknowledged that big fights in the stacked super bantamweight division are ahead for him. Lucrative fights with Leo Santa Cruz, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and especially Scott Quigg. But he also made the public and press, that gathered together in big numbers, clear that he is not looking past his upcoming opponent.
“I am not looking past this guy at all. But 2015 is going to be an absolute huge year for me. I just have to keep winning. One fight at a time. Beat Chris Avalos and then we will go on to the next step. 2015 is going to be massive.”
The 25-year old Avalos on the other hand is eager to spoil Frampton’s plans.
“I am not going to lose. I am going win and it will not be by decision, obviously. We all know that. He knows that. His trainer knows that. His promotor knows that. Everybody is laughing right now, like it is a joke. But it is true and I will prove it. I promise y’all.”
“I could have beaten Martinez easy, I would have taken him out way earlier than you did. And I will take you out too.”
Frampton quickly countered.
“Like you did to Jhonatan Romero? Kiko absolutely destroyed Romero and you lost to him.”
“I was expecting this kind of talk from a Yank. Typical.”
“The two times Avalos stepped up, he fought two half-decent fighters, Jhonatan Romero and Christopher Martin. And they both beat him. They are fringe world class fighters. Now he is going to fight his first real world class fighter, that will be a big difference. He is going to get knocked out.”
After the big words from both fighters, Frampton’s promotor Barry McGuigan went on to express his happiness that he was able to secure this fight for Belfast, where Frampton is a massive superstar.
Frampton-Avalos will be shown live on Sky Sports. The fight will go head-to-head in the United Kingdom against a big Frank Warren card at the O2 in London, which reportedly will have Tyson Fury, Chris Eubank Jr., and Liam Walsh on it and will be broadcasted by Boxnation.
One weekend earlier, Sky Sports will go head-to-head with Channel 5. Sky Sports will show a big card from Berlin, Germany with the Arthur Abraham vs. Paul Smith rematch as the main event and other British fighters like David Price and Josh Warrington on the undercard. While Channel 5 will broadcast the highly anticipated fight from Monte Carlo between Gennady Golovkin and Martin Murray.
A troubling trend for British boxing fans.
