Carl Frampton relinquishes IBF super bantamweight title ahead of Leo Santa Cruz fight

Sometimes, you've got to let something go before you can move forward.

In order to face featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz on July 30th at the Barclays Center, Carl Frampton has dropped his IBF super bantamweight title, which would have required him to face Japan's Shingo Wake in a mandatory defense.

Wake (20-4-2, 12 KO), who has knocked out seven of his last eight opponents, does not yet have an opponent for the now-vacant IBF title.

Frampton (22-0, 14 KO) first lifted the belt from Kiko Martinez in 2014 and successfully defended it against Chris Avalos, Alejandro Gonzalez Jr., and then-WBA champion Scott Quigg, The WBA stripped Frampton of that title earlier this year for refusing to face Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KO) currently holds the WBA featherweight title, which I'm sure would soften this blow quite a bit should Frampton come out victorious. If not, he'll be coming off a loss without a single belt to his name.

No pressure.