This Saturday will feature a trio of action fights on Showtime, headlined by Keith "One-Time" Thurman, one of boxing's premier knockout artists and rising stars. His 22-0-0 mark with 20 KOs have made him a feared fighter these days, and attracting opponents has been difficult.
He will go toe-to-toe with Julio Diaz (40-9-1, 29 KO), a journeyman with decent skills. Diaz knocked down Amir Khan last year, and was competitive with Shawn Porter his last time out. His knockdown of Khan proved he has pop, and he is gunning for a knockout of Thurman.
"I'm not looking for a decision," said Diaz during an interview with RingTV.com. "I think that with a puncher like Keith Thurman, and with the way that I punch and the combinations that I have, this fight will not go to a decision. Either way that it goes, I'm pretty sure that it won't go to a decision, so I'm not even thinking about a decision."
Despite his age, Thurman is fairly experienced with some good wins over Jesus Soto Karass, Diego Chaves, and Carlos Quintana under his belt. While Diaz is hoping for a knockout, he knows he could just as easily be the recipient of a finishing blow.
"Shawn Porter is very slick and very fast and very crafty, so that was a whole different fight. Amir Khan, he's very, very fast and moves a lot and is very fast with his feet and fast with his hands, so that was about timing. Keith Thurman is a very dangerous fighter and he swings with every punch with bad intentions," said Diaz.
A win vs. Diaz could set up a potential pay-per-view bout between Thurman and Porter that might create a new star. Porter looked very sharp this past Saturday in a knockout win over Paulie Malignaggi that may have sent the "Magic Man" into retirement.
