Diaz managed a terrible cut to snatch IBF belt from Farmer
The day for reckoning came for Tevin Farmer and Joseph Diaz Jnr to end the long time rivalry and trading of words that preceded their clash for the IBF super featherweight title. It was a triple header Eddie Hearn Matchroom card on Thursday night January 30, at the Meridian at Island Gardens, Miami with Demetrius Andrade defending his WBO middleweight belt against Luke Keeler and Daniel Roman making his first title defence of the WBA Super world super bantamweight and IBF super bantamweight titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Diaz 27, (31-1, 15 KOs) started the fight on a very aggressive tempo engaging Farmer in a center fight in the first round but suffered a terrible left eye cut in the second round in an accidental head butt. Referee Frank Gentile momentarily halted the fight to allow the ringside doctor to take a look at the cut.
Diaz stayed through the fight maintaining composure and dishing power punches to the body of Farmer in a flurry of exchanges.
“It didn’t change the fight at all,” Diaz said. “I just pretended it wasn’t there. I knew it was pretty bad but I knew it was a championship fight. I’m a warrior. I got to go out there and get the win. This was my opportunity. I had to take advantage of it.” Diaz joyfully expressed.
Diaz gained dominance from the ninth round opening a flurry of combinations to the body and the head of Farmer. He continued to dig into the body of Farmer as both boxers go at each other toe to toe in the tenth round.
Farmer 29, (30-5-1, 6KOs) who was making the fifth defence of his title began to show some fatigue in the tenth round dabbing Diaz at this time, trying to stick to his good defence but non-existent this time as Diaz kept working the body of Farmer.
“He put up a hell of a fight,” Farmer said. “I did fuck my hand up in the first round. But he put up a hell of a fight, I don’t think that really played a big part in the fight. He got the job done tonight. I couldn’t use my jab how I wanted to use it, but he capitalized on it and that’s what champions do. He won the fight.” Farmer added in a very pensive mood.
Both boxers confirm their interest of taking a second go at each other again in the rematch fight clause.
Farmer intends to exercise the rematch clause somewhere April or May.
“We’ll be back and we’ll do it again. We definitely got the immediate rematch clause.”