Fighters such as Raymond Muratalla, Abdullah Mason, William Zepeda, and Floyd Schofield represent the direction many expected Davis to move, which makes the return to Cruz an unusual step, even if the first fight remains one that fans remember.
The fight is being discussed for the 140-pound division. Their first meeting took place at lightweight in December 2021 and ended with Davis winning a unanimous decision after twelve rounds.
Cruz’s pressure forced Davis (30-1, 28 KOs) into a cautious fight rather than the knockout victories that have marked much of his career. Davis injured his left hand early in the bout and relied heavily on movement, defense, and right-hand counters while Cruz continued to press forward and throw in volume.
Judges scored the fight 115-113, 115-113, and 116-112 for Davis. Cruz’s pressure kept the contest competitive and produced a physical twelve-round battle that looked different from many of Davis’s other wins.
Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) continued building his record after that fight with victories that kept him near the top of the division. His aggressive style and willingness to keep pressing forward made the first bout one that fans still mention when Davis’ toughest fights are discussed.
Davis most recently fought to a twelve-round draw with Lamont Roach in March 2025 and has been inactive since that fight. A second bout with Cruz would revisit a matchup that still draws attention whenever Davis’ career is examined.
The new element is the weight class. The rematch discussions point to a fight at 140 pounds rather than the lightweight limit where they first met.
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