“The 20 years of boxing started taking its toll on my body,” Diaz told World Boxing News.
“The hunger’s there, but the wear and tear on my body told me it’s time to move on to bigger and better things. Law school’s right around the corner, and I think that’s my future. I want to be one of those good guys, one that retires on time and not because I’m forced out.”
“In a perfect world, I would have fought the lightweight champion, beat them fair and square, maybe have another title defense as my farewell fight and then retired,” he added.
Diaz leaves the sport with a 35-4 record with 17 knockouts and the knowledge that he never shied away from a fight. The Texan has earned the respect he will now take into retirement and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
