Tevin Farmer vs Jojo Diaz Odds & Picks
- Tevin Farmer vs Jojo Diaz goes Thursday, January 30 at 9pm ET
- Can Farmer score the fifth successful title defense of his IBF crown?
- Read below to see if Diaz can settle the grudge with Farmer and capture championship gold in the process
Tevin Farmer vs Jojo Diaz has been in the works for ages and finally goes down in a few days.
The IBF super featherweight world title is up for grabs as Farmer defends against Diaz. Matchroom Boxing is putting on a Super Bowl weekend show that marries elite pugilists in the sport with curious special attraction bouts.
The night of prizefighting emanates from Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami, Florida. Can Diaz capture a world title in a second weight division or will Farmer reaffirm one again why he helms the IBF throne? Check out the odds for this title fight and my bout breakdown below.
Farmer vs Diaz Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tevin Farmer | -210 |
| Jojo Diaz | +170 |
Odds taken Jan. 26
Diaz had a prior bid for the WBC featherweight world title but came up short against Gary Allen Russell Jr. He has since compiled a four-fight win streak and is looking for another crack at world championship glory. A new lease on life in a new division is something Diaz hopes falls into place on Thursday night. As Diaz grows older, he’s maturing into this super-featherweight body. Conversely, Farmer is saying that 2020 will be his last year at 130 pounds and he aims to test the lightweight waters down the line.
Oooof
The two men have engaged in some trash-talking with one another. Diaz has more of a march forward and take the center of the ring kind of approach while Farmer is defensively savvy and elusive in ways where it looks surreal at times. On-paper, it lends itself to be a captivating matchup of diametrically opposed styles that true aficionados of the sweet science can truly appreciate.
Farmer vs Diaz is not just a fight rooted in competitive merit. It’s a fight that has some bad blood involved in it. The smack talk isn’t just rooted in Twitter back and forths but the two have also verbally gone at it at various media appearances.
Tevin Farmer confronts Joseph Diaz after the undercard presser #CaneloJacobs pic.twitter.com/vjnZCHi5mN
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) May 2, 2019
Farmer has a three-inch reach advantage and has a tremendous amount of defensive savvy. I think the influence of these two factors will result in him being able to hit Diaz when he wants to commit, all the while avoiding the bulk of Diaz’s offense. Farmer has the bigger physique, which is why it makes sense that he has been campaigning to fight Gervonta Davis for a while (Davis already jumped to 135 lbs). He cannot overlook Diaz but Farmer has indicated an interest in fighting Tank should Gerovonta Davis also want that fight too.
Farmer vs Diaz Tale of the Tape
| 30-4-1 | Record | 30-1 |
| 6 | Knockouts | 15 |
| 5’6″ | Height | 5’6″ |
| 67″ | Reach | 64″ |
| G. Frenois, Francisco Fonseca, James Tennyson | Significant Wins | Freddy Fonseca, Jesus M Rojas, Rafael Rivera |
| Southpaw | Stance | Southpaw |
To that prior point though, Farmer is always thinking about the future. The champ has been quoted as saying the whole “don’t overlook your opponent” thing is a myth. He looks at fight week, the future, and anything but the fight as a means for mental clarity.
Beyond moving up in weight in the future, Farmer also has plans later in the year for a title bid against featherweight titleholder Gary Russell Jr (who returns to competition on Feb. 8). The KO rates of both men lead me to believe that the judges will get involved with this one. I think Farmer gets it done via unanimous decision.
Pick: Tevin Farmer (-210)
A part-time writer and full-time broadcaster, Dylan has hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, and covered some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage.
