South Africa?s Vusi Malinga will make a second attempt to win a world title when he battles undefeated Mexican Leon Santa Cruz for the vacant IBF bantamweight title in a fight at the Home Depot Centre in Carson, California on Saturday.
The belt became vacant when Abner Mares moved up to the junior featherweight or super bantamweight division.
It will be Malinga?s second attempt to become a world champion.
In March 2009, he was beaten in the first round when he challenged Japan?s Hozumi Hasegawa for the WBC bantamweight title.
Malinga has a record of 20-3-1, with 12 knockouts while the 23-year-old Cruz has a record of 19-0 with 11 knockouts..
After losing to Hasegawa, Malinga stopped Fadhili Majia in three rounds to win the vacant WBO Africa bantamweight title in September 2009.
Last October Malinga scored a unanimous twelve round decision over the Philippines Michael Domingo in an IBF title eliminator in South Africa.
The 32-year-old southpaw Malinga faces a tough battle against Cruz, who won the WBC youth bantamweight title when he knocked out Stephane Jamoye (20-2) in the sixth round in March last year.
In June he retained the title with a fifth-round knockout victory over Everth Briceno (33-9-2) and in November he stopped Jorge Romero in the third round.
His most recent fight was in January this year when he stopped Alejandro Hernandez (24-8-2) in the fourth round.
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