Don’t notation to Las Vegas bantamweight Floyd Diaz arsenic “Cash Flow” anymore.
“I consciousness similar I grew retired of that,” helium said successful beforehand of his Sunday bout. “It decidedly was thing that portion of my beingness and evidently thing you can’t forget.”
Old moniker. Same ambition. New promotor.
Christened “Cash Flow” by Floyd Mayweather arsenic 1 of his erstwhile proteges, Diaz is hoping to physique momentum arsenic Zuffa Boxing’s first-ever signee. Diaz, the 23-year-old unbeaten 118-pounder (14-0, 3 knockouts), debuted successful January nether the banner and returns to the ringing for Zuffa Boxing 8 astatine the Chelsea wrong the Cosmopolitan, wherever lightweights Edwin De Los Santos and Jose Valenzuela apical the marquee.
“Getting connected the archetypal paper for Zuffa was amazing,” Diaz said, lasting 5-foot-6 with a 66-inch reach, pitchy achromatic hairsbreadth and a champion’s confidence. “It’s making history. It’s similar the first-ever UFC 1. The extremity present is to beryllium the first-ever bantamweight Zuffa satellite champion.”
Being a nonrecreational boxer was the lone imagination Diaz had successful caput arsenic a autochthonal Las Vegan with working-class parents who had him successful gyms crossed the city. A regular astatine Mayweather Boxing Club, wherever the undefeated five-division champion trained, helium caught his attraction and garnered the nickname he’s since discarded.
A conception of HBO’s “24/7” — enarthrosis programming for its premier boxing matchups — up of Mayweather’s 2010 matchup with Shane Mosley showed Diaz, past 6, hitting mitts with (two division-champion and Mayweather’s precocious trainer and uncle) Roger Mayweather similar a seasoned pro.
Viral fame followed.
“That kid that they’ve seen backmost past is not who I americium now,” Diaz affirmed, the alias inked connected his near forearm. On his close forearm reads “The Money Team,” a motion to the campy with which helium erstwhile trained. Other tattoos see a “777” and a wealth rose, besides connected his close manus and arm.
“I’ve grown from the small mitts,” said Diaz, an attendee astatine respective of Mayweather’s fights and different salient fights successful town.
“Now it’s each astir show and excellence now.”
With much than 200 amateur bouts — fought crossed the state portion helium was homeschooled online — Diaz inked a woody with Top Rank, debuting professionally successful 2021. His undefeated record, however, amassed connected the undercards of world-champion fighters (including Shakur Stevenson, DevinHaney, Artur Beterbiev and Vasiliy Lomachenko) wasn’t capable to support him nether contract.
Top Rank didn’t widen Diaz’s woody aft his 13th and last triumph connected their banner — a determination implicit Mario Hernandez connected Sept. 27, 2024 astatine Madison Square Garden’s Theater — prompting 15 months of inactivity. To marque end’s conscionable portion retired of the ring, helium did door-to-door income and worked retail, aligning with manager Edwin McCoy.
“Would I person liked to combat past portion I was biding my time? Maybe,” Diaz said. “But we waited for the cleanable time. The accidental came erstwhile it was expected to. It was each God’s timing. That’s wherefore I got signed with … Zuffa. That’s wherefore we’re astatine wherever we’re astatine close now. No rush.”
With the assistance of McCoy, Diaz became the archetypal boxer to motion with Zuffa, warring connected Jan. 23 connected its inaugural paper astatine the Meta Apex. Beating Guillermo Guttierez via ascendant determination made Diaz consciousness “blessed” and arrogant of the mode his patience paid off.
Andres Teran (18-2, 13 KOs) awaits him Sunday astatine the Cosmopolitan, wherever helium hasn’t yet fought, pursuing respective weeks of prep astatine UFC’s Performance Institute. Perhaps different moniker awaits him arsenic well.
“I’ll fto the radical decide,” Diaz said. “And if thing other that I consciousness similar I similar comes about, oregon my squad and I, we travel unneurotic oregon something, past we’ll astir apt spell with it.”
So long, “Cash Flow.”
Contact Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected X.
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