Bantamweight, Juan Díaz (14-1-1) vs. Won Il Kwon (14-5)
Notable Notes
- Kwon went 9-5 for ONE Championship
- Both have won by KO/TKO, submission, and decision
- Dias is 7-1 to the decision
- Diaz has gone five rounds twice
- Kwon has lost by KO/TKO, submission, and decision
- Kwon has multiple finishes in rounds one, two, and three
- Kwon hasn’t gone a decision in six years
Juan Díaz
-Snapping jab
-Good back take
-Straight punches
-Good trip takedowns
-Solid TDD
-Good head movement
-Well conditioned
-Can be low volume/Too patient
-Can be repetitive
Diaz has just one loss, which came against Rodrigo Vera, who currently sits at 21-1-1. Personally, I thought Diaz won that fight, so to me he should still be undefeated. He doesn’t have any particularly credible wins, but he is the reigning LUX bantamweight champion. Watching his footage, commentators often call him a grappler, but he’s much more of a striker than anything else.
From his early fights to his most recent bouts, Diaz has noticeably slowed down his style. A few years ago, he pushed a heavier pace and initiated grappling and wrestling more. Now, he’s patient, picking at his opponents rather than aggressively pursuing them. His striking is basically jab, jab, right hand. He’ll throw the left jab and double or triple it, then follow with a straight right, right hook, or uppercut. His boxing is clean—combinations, slipping punches, rolling with strikes, and occasionally attacking the body. That said, he doesn’t go to the body nearly enough and tends to hunt the head, which makes him somewhat predictable.
Defensively, his takedown defense looks solid. On the feet, he’s vulnerable to leg kicks and can struggle to slip punches down the middle. He rolls with punches decently but does a very good job of ducking under them to get to the back for takedowns. Diaz is a skilled clinch wrestler and uses trip takedowns effectively. His jiu-jitsu is competent; he stays sticky on the back and lands active ground-and-pound but isn’t particularly submission-savvy. He’ll attack subs like front headlocks, but doesn’t execute the techniques fully to finish the chokes.
Overall, Diaz is a solid fighter with a lot of qualities: clean technique, head movement, good takedown defense, and strong cardio. He also has clear areas to improve, including body attacks, unpredictability, and finishing on the ground.
Won Il Kwon
-Laser right hand
-Nasty bodywork
-Accurate
-Frequent jab
-Constant pressure
-Throws in combinations
-Stays active
-Effective ground and pound
-Hit too much
-TDD needs some work
I can’t say I’m a fan of fighters getting a Contender Series fight coming off a loss. Why not at least have him beat someone first before bringing him on? I’m not going to make a huge deal considering who he lost to and what he brings to the cage however.
Kwon has been fighting for ONE Championship for the last six years, compiling an up-and-down 9-5 record. The only person he’s lost to in the last five years is Fabricio de Andrade, who’s an excellent fighter. Kwon is a kill-or-be-killed fighter in the cage, and that style made him a fan favorite in ONE. He’s not a brawler, but he’s an in-your-face type of fighter—constantly hunting his opponents and setting the tone with relentless volume.
A lot of his offense comes from the jab and body work, which he actively throws to create openings for combinations. He has a laser straight right off the jab and carries solid power. He’s willing to take a hit but has a hell of a chin. He’s only been stopped twice by TKO, both times by Andrade and once by a body shot. It’s his pressure, constant aggression, and ability to push the pace that make him dangerous and hard to deal with inside the cage.
Predictions: This has the makings of an all-out war, similar to the fights we saw last week. Diaz will likely need to dial down his patience, but Kwon’s style tends to bring out the dog in him. In a pure striking battle, I’d favor Kwon: he throws more volume and mixes up his targets better.
Diaz could turn to wrestling, as his clinch work should be effective against Kwon. I don’t think he’s skilled enough to submit Kwon, but he could control top position for stretches. Lately, though, we haven’t seen Diaz push a heavy wrestling game plan; he’s focused more on mixing things up, similar to Kwon.
For the Contender Series, I expect both fighters to play to their strengths on the feet. Unless Diaz targets the body effectively, Kwon’s pressure and volume will likely overwhelm him, potentially leading to a late finish.
