Emanuel Navarrete and Christopher Diaz went to war on Saturday night in Kissimmee, Fla., with Navarrete stopping the outrageously brave Diaz in the 12th and final round to retain his WBO featherweight title.
Navarrete (33-1, 28 KO) expressed great admiration for Diaz (26-3, 16 KO) after the fight, telling ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna, “I knew he was tough, I knew he was strong, and I knew he could hit hard, but he surpassed all my expectations. He brought out the best in me. I’ve got a lot of respect for ‘Pitufo’ Diaz.”
Navarrete said that when he hurt or dropped Diaz — Navarrete scored four knockdowns in the fith — “he came back stronger” and “kept coming at me,” calling Diaz “a beast.”
The two met up after the fight to share a beer:
This is one of those things people love about boxing, at least when it’s like this. These guys gave each other hell on Saturday night, and not long after were together and smiling.
If you missed Saturday’s fight, here are the full highlights: