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Abner Mares has made the decision to stay at featherweight rather than move up for a shot at a 130-pound title against Takashi Miura, saying he doesn't want to make a mistake by going up too high, too soon.
Mares says he'd like to face Leo Santa Cruz, who just successfully defended his 122-pound belt and appears headed for a fight later this year with Carl Frampton.
"I'm just settling in featherweight. There is no reason to move up right now or to think about making history and make a mistake [by taking a fight] against Takashi Miura. ... Leo Santa Cruz did very well against Cristian Mijares. It's a fight that's interesting and it always comes up. I've just settled myself at featherweight and that would be very good fight in Los Angeles. I think it's already very difficult for him to make 122 pounds, but if he wants to go up to 126 or we can make it at an agreed weight. I'll see if it's possible, but what I know is that both us want the fight."
Mares (26-1-1, 14 KO) lost in his last outing, a TKO-1 defeat against Jhonny Gonzalez in his second fight at featherweight. They had a rematch scheduled for this year, but that fell through, and now Mares is looking to schedule a fight for the spring, possibly on the Mayweather-Maidana undercard.