Veteran JoJo Diaz Ready To Battle Unbeaten William Zepeda

Ahead of their crossroads clash, former IBF Super Featherweight World Champion Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (32-2-1, 15 KOs) and undefeated, rising lightweight division star William “El Camarón” Zepeda (26-0, 23 KOs) hosted a media workout at the BXNG CLUB in San Diego for their upcoming 12-round battle. The match is set to take place at the Pechanga Arena San Diego this Saturday, Oct. 29 on DAZN.

Diaz, who won his IBF world title off Tevin Farmer in an upset decision in January 2020, looks to get into the 135 lb. title conversation with a win over the highly touted up and comer in Zepeda. And the veteran admitted Wednesday that he knows what’s at stake,

“I know this fight is a really tough fight. It’s sink or swim. I’m a warrior – I have that in me and I’ll fight anyone. I want to fight the best. I want to always challenge myself,” Diaz said.

“I’m always progressing – even my losses, I don’t look at them as losses. I look at them as lessons learned. Zepeda is one tough gunner, and I know he’s hungry for a title shot which will make this an incredible fight for me personally because he’s going to come forward and be aggressive.”

Diaz was last in the ring in December of last year, when now undisputed champ Devin Haney outfought him for a 12 round decision for the WBC lightweight championship.  And, this matchup set into motion by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions has him a prominent main event fight to get him back in the limelight.

Unbeaten Zepeda Looks To Make Statement

“I had a really great training camp. I know I have a complicated fight ahead of me but I am very motivated with an excellent preparation like always,” Zepeda said Wednesday.

“I’m used to training at a high altitude [10,000 feet above sea level in Jiquipilco, Mexico]. We really enjoy training there because we are very focused on training.

“I was very excited when I got the call for this fight. I’ve always wanted these types of opportunities. I’ve trained really hard for this, and this fight won’t be the exception. We are very concentrated and focused because we know this is a big opportunity.”

The 26 year old Zepeda has been more active recently than Diaz fighting twice so far in 2022. He kayoed Luis Viedas in just three rounds in February and then scored a unanimous 10 round verdict over Rene Alvarado in May.

In the co-main event Saturday night, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (20-1, 13 KOs) will defend his NABO Welterweight title against hungry challenger from Tijuana, Mexico, Jesus “Ricky” Perez (24-3, 18 KOs) in a 10-round fight. Monterrey, Mexico’s Arely Mucino (31-3-2, 11 KOs) will challenge Chimba, Argentina’s World Champion Leonela Yudica (17-0-3) for the IBF Female Flyweight World Title in a 10-round match. Dallas, Texas’s Hector Valdez, Jr. (15-0, 8 KOs) will open the DAZN broadcast in a 10-round super bantamweight fight against Las Vegas, Nevada’s Max Ornelas (15-0-1, 5 KOs).