“I saw that last fight between Andy and Muratalla, and I do believe that he won that fight,” Montoya said during Thursday’s final press conference. “So being able to face him is a blessing. As soon as my team got the call, we immediately accepted. We said yes.”

Montoya isn’t alone in that opinion. Veteran trainer Bozy Ennis, who has overseen Cruz’s preparation, also felt his fighter deserved the verdict despite the official scores.

“I thought he edged it,” Bozy Ennis said to Fighthype in a recent interview. “It was a close fight, but I thought he won the fight.”

The differing opinions surrounding the Muratalla bout have done little to diminish Cruz’s reputation. Widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted fighters in the division, the Olympic gold medalist now has an opportunity to put the controversy behind him with an impressive performance against Montoya. A convincing victory would shift the attention back to Cruz’s future in the title picture rather than the debate over whether his lone defeat should have been recorded in the first place.