Jo Jo Diaz is ready to step up in weight in order to fight Ryan Garcia.
Diaz is a former world champion at junior lightweight, but after struggling to make weight moved up to 135lbs. Diaz defeated Javier Fortuna before losing to Devin Haney. Diaz is a top 10 fighter in the division. Garcia, meanwhile, was meant to fight Diaz last year, but a hand injury kept him out of a comeback after he missed his first date with Fortuna due to mental health problems.
He returned to the ring in April to defeat Emmanuel Tagoe at a catchweight before defeating Fortuna earlier in July at 140lbs. He has since said he will ‘never’ fight at lightweight again and is pursuing a clash with a fellow unbeaten American, 27-year-old Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. However, Diaz told BoxingScene.com that he would be willing to make the Garcia fight.
“I still want the Ryan fight. We have unfinished business,” he said. “I saved him two times last year. He pulled out of the Javier Fortuna fight, and I stepped up in weight and on short notice to fight him, and I beat him.
"Then me and Ryan were supposed to fight last November, and he pulled out with a hand injury. I went and fought Devin Haney, someone he never fought even when he had the chance to. Now that I have a fight date, I would love to fight Ryan.”
Rick Mirigian, Diaz’s manager, explained Diaz would fight in November, ideally against Garcia.
“Jo Jo wants Ryan next, period. If not, he will fight a highly ranked guy in November.”
And Diaz clarified that he would be willing to fight above 135lbs if necessary, saying: “If he don’t want to fight at 135 anymore, I don’t mind fighting him at a catchweight at 138 just to make the fight happen. If it’s trouble for him, I don’t mind doing the higher weight for that fight.”