Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (29-3, 24 KOs) makes his return after nearly a year away from the ring against Joseph “JoJo” Diaz (34-7-1, 15 KOs) at the Credit One Arena in Chicago, Illinois. His last match, in October of last year against Jack Catterall, was tough as he suffered his second consecutive loss.
(Credit: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy)
As for JoJo, he had an 8-rounder in Tijuana, Mexico, on June 21, where he was victorious by unanimous decision. The match will be contested at the catchweight of 142 pounds.
Rougarou is the naturally bigger fighter and should be physically bigger and stronger come fight night. JoJo has had fights within the super lightweight limit before but has not fared well at this weight. His best performance near this weight limit was an 8-rounder against Jerry Perez, a match he won by unanimous decision.
Regis is primed and ready for the match, and after a long training camp, he looks ready to put on a show. The two-time champion is seeking to cement his legacy in the sport and has stated he’d like to become a three-time champion, if possible, but is seeking more to build on his boxing legacy. Prograis has proved defensively difficult for his opponents with an average opponent
land rate of 20.6 percent, which is about 7.9 punches per round, which is within the top ten in both categories(Compubox). Prograis will not only be defensively challenging for JoJo but will also prove offensively difficult for Diaz. Although JoJo is 6 years younger than Prograis, his war-battered body may not hold up against Regis, who has decent power.
Although neither fighter is known for their speed of the two, Rougarou appears to hold the edge. He also has a three-inch reach advantage, which he’ll utilize to control the range. “Did a long camp, did a long hard camp. For me, it’s just go time, you know what I’m saying. I did all the sacrifice, um…trained my ass for this and yeah, now it’s go time bro,” said Regis of his preparation for the fight. With Rougarou holding the key advantages in the match, he expects Diaz to give it his all, “JoJo is hungry right now, you know. He’s coming off a bunch of losses right now. Um, so I think he’s hungry to get back to the top. So, I expect him to come to fight.”
This may be JoJo’s last big opportunity, so he must capitalize on it and give it his absolute best. He’s admitted to prior training issues in the past, by partying excessively and not performing to
expectations in matches, but he’s changed and has a renewed devotion to sport. The match will serve as the co-main event for Oscar Duarte-Kenneth Sims Jr.
Last Updated on 08/02/2025
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