JoJo Diaz’s Long Road Leads to Bare-Knuckle Boxing in Newcastle

Diaz has fought in the U.S. and Mexico. He will add the UK to that list

JoJo Diaz | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Former IBF world champion JoJo Diaz will make his British bare-knuckle boxing debut at Utilita Arena Newcastle on October 10.

"I've fought all over the States and in Mexico, but I've never stepped into a ring in the UK — not once in my whole career," Diaz said in a press statement. "Newcastle is going to be the first, and I'm doing it bare-knuckle. This is a new chapter for me, and I want the fans here to see exactly what a world champion looks like up close."

This will be Joseph Diaz Jr.'s second BKB fight in the "trigon." Diaz appeared at BKB 56 in Los Angeles, where he stopped Nate Williams in the first round. In Newcastle, he will face Brian Hyslop in a super lightweight bout.

The bout also gives Diaz another chance to test whether his pressure, body work, and veteran craft translate cleanly to bare-knuckle competition overseas in Britain.

David Tetreault, CEO of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing, said Diaz's appearance demonstrates the organization's growing international reach.

"Getting a genuine former world champion like JoJo Diaz to make his first-ever UK appearance at our first Newcastle show says everything about where this sport is heading," Tetreault said. "This is a huge moment for Newcastle and a huge statement for BKB."

It's been a long road for the El Monte warrior, who held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight title from 2020 to 2021.

A long boxing career continues without gloves

It's unclear if he will return to traditional boxing at some stage. Diaz lost a 10-round decision to Ashton Sylve in Sylve's hometown of Long Beach, California, in June.

Diaz had notable wins over Javier Fortuna and Tevin Farmer. His 34-10-1 record also includes losses to Devin Haney, Gary Russell Jr. and Regis Prograis. The last of those was highly competitive and arguably deserving of a rematch. The ups and downs of his career have not brought him to this new sport.

Diaz will be the chief support on a card featuring BKB world champion Rolando "Dy Incredible" Dy (6-1, 5 KOs) defending the BKB super welterweight title against five-time British BKB champion Scott "The Mute" McHugh (17-5, 7 KOs).

It hasn't gone well for former American world boxing champions who have crossed over to bare-knuckle boxing. Diaz might want to recall what happened to Rolando Dy's last opponent. Former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi was stopped in the second round of their BKB bout in Manchester, England, in May.