JOJO DIAZ suffered a gruesome gash above his left eye but battled on to shock Tevin Farmer for the IBF world title.
The super-featherweights clashed in Miami on Thursday evening – before YouTuber Jake Paul beat internet rival ‘AnEsonGib’.
JoJo Diaz suffered a gruesome cut above his left eye against Tevin FarmerCredit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
Diaz battled on to win the IBF super-featherweight world titleCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Farmer, 29, opened the fifth defence of his belt in disastrous fashion after alerting his trainer of a hand injury he sustained in the opening round.
Despite the pain the champion fought on and in the second it was Diaz, 27, this time threatened with potentially fight-ending injury.
As Farmer ducked underneath a shot he clashed heads with his opponent opening up a nasty and bloody cut above Diaz’s left eye.
The ringside doctor had to access the severity of the gash before round three but allowed the challenger to fight on.
A bloodied Diaz fought through to outwork Farmer to a slight unanimous points win and insisted after the fight nothing, not even the brutal gash, would prevent him from lifting the world title.
He said: “It never bothered me. I just pretended it wasn’t even there.
“I respect Tevin Farmer, he gave me this title shot. I know he’s gonna want a rematch and I’ll be more than happy to run it back.”
Farmer – who was mocked by rival Gervonta Davis online – was making a voluntary defence of his belt in Florida.
And per his contract he has the right to an immediate rematch, which he confirmed he will exercise.
Farmer said: “He put up a hell of a fight. No excuses.
“We definitely gonna (exercise) that immediate rematch clause.
“Hopefully we can do it again in April or May. We gotta run it back but he put up a hell of fight.”
Diaz is open to a rematch with ex-champion FarmerCredit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
Farmer revealed he suffered a hand injury in the opening roundCredit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
