Former 140-lb champion Regis Prograis (30-3, 24 KOs) battled to a thrilling 10-round unanimous decision over former IBF super featherweight champion Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz (34-8-1, 15 KOs) in a welterweight fight in their chief support fight on Saturday night at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
(Credit: Golden Boy/Cris Esqueda)
Diaz Hurts Prograis Early
A motivated Diaz Jr. had Prograis out on his feet in the first round after hurting him with a left hook to the side of the head. He then teed off on the stricken New Orleans fighter, hitting him with everything but the kitchen sink, but could not finish the job. After the round ended, Prograis staggered back to his corner.
The scores were 98-92, 96-94, and 96-94.
Diaz had Prograis in similar trouble in round two after nailing him with a short right hand on the inside. Again, he landed a barrage of punches to the head of Regis.
Prograis fought well in rounds three and four, using his jab and straight lefts to get the better of Diaz. In the fourth, Joseph suffered a cut on the left side of his eye from a clash of heads while on the inside.
Post-Fight Prograis Reaction
“It was like when you have the jitters coming into a fight, then after that you get hit with the first one — and then it’s a fight,” said Prograis. “I knew it was gonna be a fight with him. I went to my corner and they said, ‘Listen, just keep your jab out.’ And that’s what I did. That’s how I got the job done. People are going to say what they want, but I felt like I needed this. JoJo’s a veteran.”
Regis’ Chin Concerns
Prograis shouldn’t be too happy about his win, because this was his third fight in a row in which he’s been hurt by a non-puncher. Getting staggered repeatedly by the former featherweight Diaz showed that his chin isn’t what it once was.
Last Updated on 08/03/2025
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