Joseph Diaz Jnr now trains with former titleholder Paulie Ayala. 

Diaz returns against Alexis de la Cruz on Saturday in Hermosillo, Mexico. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds. 

Diaz, 33-7-1 (15 KOs), moved from California to Texas after his November loss to Abraham Montoya. The loss capped off a rough 2024 in which he lost all three of his fights, including two split decisions against Jesus Perez and Montoya. The 2012 U.S. Olympian Diaz has had a rough decade. Since 2020, Diaz holds a record of 3-6-1, with six of seven losses coming in the last four years. 

“I changed my training camp to Texas, and I found a different kind of training in Paulie Ayala,” Diaz told BoxingScene. “I am just happy, and I know this opportunity is being presented to me because of all the hard work that I have done within myself.” 

Diaz, a 32-year-old from South El Monte, California, appreciates Ayala’s perspective, as he was also a southpaw. 

“He was a lefty as well, and he is showing me his little expertise from being a professional fighter,” Diaz said. “It is a perfect fit; it is a perfect combination.”

Diaz has a few motivations right now. For starters, he is motivated by his kids. Another motivation has to do with showing the world he can still be a world champion. 

“I feel the last few years of my life were a little hectic and I was living like a rockstar,” Diaz said. “It showed in my fights. It showed when I wasn’t making weight.”

The losses were twofold. They hurt Diaz’s career because they pushed him further away from a title shot. And they also hurt his wallet. 

“When you lose, your stock goes down and the price for your fight purses goes down,” Diaz said. 

In the Perez fight, Diaz felt he won, but lost a close fight.

“After the decision, my thoughts were, ‘How am I going to pay this? How am I going to pay that?” Diaz said. “Because I was counting on the next payday after that fight, which would have been huge.”

Then Diaz's weight became an issue as he struggled to make his contracted weight. 

“I spent over a million dollars paying my opponents for all the fees,” Diaz said. “That caused a lot of depression, because I was still drinking, and it was causing me more anxiety and depression.”

Diaz has been sober since a brief relapse after his loss in November to Montoya. 

“After my loss to Abraham [Montoya] I started to drink again, and I said, ‘Why am I going to go back to this?’” Diaz said. 

Against de la Cruz, 9-5-2 (4 KOs), a 23-year-old from Mexico City, Mexico, Diaz is looking to snap his three-fight losing streak and make the most of his last shot. 

“I put all the distractions aside. I cut all the bullshit and the bad people out of my life,” Diaz said. “I am just focused and locked in.”