CARL FRAMPTON INKS DEAL WITH MTK GLOBAL
Photo by Julio Sanchez/RBRBoxing
MTK Global are delighted to be working alongside former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton in an advisory role.
Frampton (23-1, 14 KO’s) is one of Ireland’s greatest ever boxers, winning the IBF world title and unifying the Super Bantamweight division with memorable victories over rivals Kiko Martinez and Scott Quigg, before dethroning WBA Featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz in July 2016 to establish himself as one of the boxing world’s elite-level operators.
‘The Jackal’ is entering an exciting new phase of his career and believes linking up with MTK Global was the natural decision for this next chapter.
“MTK are a relatively new organisation and recently celebrated their fifth anniversary. But if you look at what they have already done, they have big-name fighters like Billy Joe Saunders and recruited a lot of boxers from Ireland and I feel that they can get me the best deal with a promoter” Frampton said. “There was always the possibility that I could go my own way, but to have someone on your side advising you and getting you the best deal possible is always important and I feel Matthew Macklin and MTK Global can definitely do that.”
“I listened to everyone before making my decision. If you look at what’s going on at the moment, they are the best in the business and getting their boxers involved in some really big fights and it’s only going to continue and keep getting better.” Frampton has created a unique bond with his fans after producing memorable performances in Belfast, leading to a huge travelling support for his recent Stateside clashes with Leo Santa Cruz. However, the Featherweight star is determined to repay his loyal fans and complete the trilogy in Belfast, with Windsor Park his preferred choice.
“That would be the dream come true to fight Leo [Santa Cruz] in the third fight at Windsor Park and beat him, that would be pretty perfect and ideal. That’s an objective of mine to fight at Windsor one day and that’s what I want to do and hopefully, it will happen.”
“It’s the biggest venue in Belfast and I support Northern Ireland very passionately. The atmosphere has always been pretty incredible, you need to get to a match to understand it, there’s no other place like it and I want to put on a big boxing night to experience it, it would be a dream come true for me.”
With no shortage of intriguing matchups available at Featherweight, Frampton is targeting all of the current world champions and also has his sights set on making Irish boxing history at Super-Featherweight before his career ends.
“Lee Selby is a potential fight that I want, Gary Russell Jnr, Abner Mares these are the kind of names and calibre of fighters that I want to face at some point. All of them would be difficult fights in their own right and I’m hoping with MTK now we can get the right fights and the right promotional deal.”
“Hopefully, we can bring the names to this side of the pond, if not I’m always willing to travel. Belfast is special to me and I want to fight here a couple of times before my career is over.”
“I’m happy in the Featherweight division. I missed weight at my last weigh-in and I shouldn’t have done that, that was unprofessional, I am a Featherweight and settled in the division for the meantime. In the future, I would like to target one of the big names up at Super-Featherweight and stand alone in Ireland as a three-weight world champion.”
A scheduled homecoming clash with Andres Gutierrez ended in disappointment after Gutierrez suffered injury, forcing the bout to be cancelled and Frampton is looking to return to action as soon as possible with new trainer Jamie Moore.
“I don’t have a definite date but I would like to be out before the end of the year. It’s great with Jamie [Moore]. In my head, I was hoping to go and train with a few guys but I was only out for a few days with Jamie and we gelled instantly. He knows the game inside out and is very knowledgeable.”
“That’s what I need at the minute, I’ve got my style and I’m not going to change too much. I need someone who knows the game, who can give me sound advice in the corner, who can get me fit and work on tactics for different opponents and Jamie can certainly do that” Frampton said.
MTK founder Matthew Macklin is excited to have Frampton onboard. “We are delighted and honoured that Carl has chosen MTK to guide him through this next phase of his career and we are confident that we can help deliver the big fights he has targeted” he said.
Header photo by Ryan Greene/PBC
