Joseph "Jojo" Diaz Jr. looks to establish himself as one of the best 130-pound fighters in the world on Saturday when he puts his IBF junior lightweight title on the line against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. The card can be seen exclusively in over 200 countries on DAZN. The co-main event is another championship bout as Patrick Teixeira defends the WBO junior middleweight belt versus Brian Castano.
Diaz returns from a 13-month layoff after besting Tevin Farmer via a unanimous decision to capture his first major world title. A rematch looked to be on the horizon, but it failed to come to fruition. Due to that, the IBF ordered Diaz to face Rakhimov because he's the mandatory challenger. Since moving to junior lightweight in August 2018 after suffering the only defeat of his career to Gary Russell Jr., Diaz is 5-0.
Looking to break Diaz's five consecutive wins is Rakhimov. The 26-year-old enters his biggest fight to date on a fantastic run. Rakhimov comes in having won 10 of his 11 bouts via stoppage to earn a crack at the gold for the first time.
While Rakhimov hasn't fought the same caliber of competition as Diaz, what he's done lately is nothing to sneeze. Diaz needs to be careful, or we can see an upset on Saturday night.
Here is everything you need to know about Joseph "Jojo" Diaz vs. Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.
When is JoJo Diaz vs. Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov?
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 13
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Diaz-Rakhimov: 11 p.m. ET
Joseph Diaz Jr. returns to the ring against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov takes place on Saturday, Feb. 13. The card starts at 8 p.m. ET, with Diaz and Rakhimov expected to take their ring walks about 11 p.m. ET, depending on the length of the earlier fights.
How to watch Diaz vs. Rakhimov: TV channel, live stream
- DAZN
The card will stream live globally on DAZN, to more than 200 countries and territories. DAZN isn't a traditional linear TV channel but is a live sports streaming platform that works with many Internet-connected devices and smart TVs.
Click here to learn more about DAZN in your region.
Where is Diaz vs. Rakhimov taking place?
The Diaz vs. Rakhimov fight will take place at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Fans will not be allowed in attendance because of COVID-19.
Diaz competes at the venue for the eighth time while Rakhimov fights there for the first time.
Joseph Diaz record and bio
- Name: Joseph Diaz Jr.
- Nationality: American
- Born: Nov. 23, 1992
- Height: 5-6
- Reach: 64 inches
- Total fights: 32
- Record: 31-1 with 15 knockouts
Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov record and bio
- Name: Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov
- Nationality: Russian
- Born: Aug. 14, 1994
- Height: 5-8½
- Reach: N/A
- Total fights: 15
- Record: 15-0 with 12 knockouts
Diaz vs. Rakhimov fight card
- Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov for Diaz’s IBF Junior Lightweight title
- Patrick Teixeira vs. Brian Castano for Teixeira’s WBO Junior Middleweight title
- Ronny Rios vs. Oscar Negrete; Junior Featherweight
- Shane Mosley Jr. vs. Cristian Olivas; Middleweight
- Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Morgan Fitch; Super Middleweight
- Azat Hovhannisyam vs. Enrique Bernache; Junior Featherweight
- Victor Morales vs. Jose Gonzalez; Featherweight
- Dalis Kaleiopu vs. Eduardo Sanchez; Lightweight
- Elnur Abduraimov vs. TBA; Lightweight