Diaz-Rakhimov IBF Title Fight Purse Bid Postponed, Pushed Back One Week

Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz’s introduction to fatherhood came and went without resolution to his next fight.

That day won’t come for another week or so, assuming he remains on the hook for an ordered mandatory 130-pound title defense versus Russia’s Shavkatadzhon Rakhimov.

A purse bid hearing scheduled to determine promotional rights for the aforementioned title fight has been postponed until November 24, IBF representatives informed BoxingScene.com on Wednesday. The matter was due to take place via online conference call on Tuesday, only for a request from involved parties to push back the date in hopes of reaching terms without the matter being made available to the highest bidder.

The minimum acceptable bid for an IBF title fight in the 130-pound division is $50,000. The winning bid will be split 65%-35% in favor of the defending champion.

Diaz (31-1, 15KOs)—who recently celebrated the birth of his first child—was reminded earlier this year of the mandatory title defense he inherited upon claiming the IBF junior lightweight strap in a 12-round win over Tevin Farmer this past January in Miami, Florida.

Earlier that week came resolution from the New Jersey-based sanctioning body, declaring Rakhimov (15-0, 12KOs) as next in line for a shot at the strap. The ruling followed a months-long investigation surrounding the Russian’s come-from-behind 8th round knockout win over Azinga Fuzile in their title eliminator last September in South Africa, with Fuzile’s side arguing that Rakhimov used illegal substances to revive their fighter after hopelessly trailing through seven rounds.

Problematic to the ordered fight was an existing rematch clause carried in the contract for Diaz’s challenge of, and ultimate triumph over, Farmer (30-5-1, 6KOs). The bout was a voluntary defense, which often come with the insurance policy of a second fight in the event the defending titlist suffers a loss.

Sanctioning bodies tend to not recognize rematch clauses, with their own by-laws and policies almost always taking precedence. A rare exception came last summer, when the IBF agreed to permit newly crowned heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz proceed with a lucrative second fight versus Anthony Joshua with the written guarantee that the winner next face Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev.

Joshua went on to win by 12-round decision, avenging his lone career defeat and will now face Pulev on December 12 in London.

Efforts are still being made to secure a rematch between Diaz and Farmer, although such a fight loses its value and significance without a major title at stake. That part still has to be worked out, though Rakhimov’s side so far is refusing to cooperate on that front.

Upon the fight being ordered earlier this summer, Rakhimov’s team contacted the IBF to request an immediate purse bid hearing in lieu of continuing to participate in the 30-day negotiation period. Such is the right of any participant in an IBF-ordered fight, pursuant to IBF Rule 10A covering mandatory title fights and forthcoming purse bids.

At the time, the sanctioning body called for a purse bid hearing to take place on January 14, 2021. The matter was since expedited earlier this month to take place on Tuesday, only now with another week granted to sort out the finer details.

As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, Diaz and Farmer managed to come to an agreement in moving forward with their rematch. However, such plans remain hamstrung due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the inability to secure a network date.

Such matters will have to be sorted out in order for Diaz to be able to honor both the rematch guaranteed to Farmer and—should he repeat—his mandatory title defense versus Rakhimov all within a timeframe deemed acceptable to all involved parties.

 Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox