Diego Magdaleno one step away from another title shot

Diego Magdaleno has come up short in his biggest fights, losing title bouts against Roman Martinez and Terry Flanagan and to Teofimo Lopez in a non-title bout in February of last year.

Lessons learned. He’s says he’s a smarter, better fighter after those experiences and under the guidance of new trainer Bones Adams, who was in his corner for the first time when he defeated Austin Dulay by a clear decision this past February.

Magdaleno (32-3, 13 KOs) faces Isaac Cruz in a lightweight title eliminator on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz pay-per-view card on Oct. 31.

“The biggest thing that I’ve learned is to stay calm,” Magdaleno said. “When I start thinking too far ahead, that’s when things go wrong. Coach Adams has a great way of keeping me grounded and composed.

“He knows how to simplify things for me and communicate exactly what I need to do, which makes it less stressful for me. And we’ve done some other things, like correcting my footwork and the angles that I use.”

Diego Magdaleno’s victory over Austin Dulay (right) in February pumped life back into his career. Shelley Mays / The Tennessean

He went on: “I’ve always taken pride in being a professional, but I learned that I can be very dangerous with the right team around me. I went into fight kind of being considered a steppingstone for Dulay, but I showed that I’m still a strong fighter. People counted me out and they made a mistake.

“I’m just super happy that I found Coach Adams and got a proper team organized around me. I was able to change people’s minds with just one fight. Now I’m in a title eliminator, and with a win on October 31, I’ll have my third shot at a world title.”

Of course, Cruz (19-1-1, 14 KOs) is no pushover. The 22-year-old Mexican has gone undefeated since losing an eight-round decision to Luis Miguel Montano in 2016, including a majority-decision victory over Thomas Mattice this past February.

“Cruz is something I’ve seen before,” Magdaleno said. “I’ve fought lots of Mexican-style fighters like him who don’t have a lot of technical skill but possess a come-forward style. So I think I’ll be able to go back to what I know.

“I’ll just have to stay fluid and pick Cruz apart. He’s a guy who likes to fight on the inside and throw lots of overhand punches and hooks. I’ll break him down like I did my last opponent.”

Magdaleno is motivated by those who might perceive him as the guy who falls short.

The 33-year-old brother of Jessie Magdaleno plans to beat Cruz and then make the most of his next opportunity to fight for a world title, which could come next year. Cruz is ranked No. 6 by the IBF, Magdaleno No. 10. Lopez, who fights Vasiliy Lomachenko on Oct. 17, is the IBF champ.

“What I know is that when everyone counts you out, you just have to believe in yourself,” he said. “When I decide to hang up the gloves, it’ll be because I want to, not because others say I should.

“I have my confidence back now and I’m very happy with where I’m going.”