Raul Curiel vs Elias Diaz Prediction: Raul Curiel aims for a complete showdown in Las Vegas

As always, 2024 kicks off with a thrilling match for the followers of the sport of boxing. On Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 5:00 PM, welterweights Raul Curiel and Elias Diaz will square off in an exciting bout. This Main Card match will take place at the glitzy Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in the middle of Sin City, Nevada. The most recent fights for Raul Curiel and Elias Diaz were three and ten months ago, with victories for each.

The Mexican welterweight Raul Curiel has been on a meteoric rise. Curiel defeated Ferdinand Kerobyan via technical knockout in the ninth round of their 2021 fight for the vacant NABF Welterweight Title. Against three elite boxers, he successfully defended his title. Curiel defended his title against Kendo Castaneda six months later, in 2021. Even Curiel defended that championship in December 2022, defeating Brad Solomon via technical knockout and unanimous decision. Even more recently, in 2023, Curiel defeated Courtney Pennington by tenth-round unanswered punches.

In his most recent bout, Elias Diaz prevailed over David Thomas. Given that Diaz had lost his previous fight, this was a huge win for him. What's more, he did it in spectacular fashion, winning by technical knockout in the first round. In a unanimous decision match in 2022, Luis Lopez defeated him. Boxing greats including Edgar Romero, Edwin Salcido, Mauricio Estrada, and David Melgoza were all defeated by Elias Diaz.

The clear favorite to win is Raul Curiel. He has 13 wins, 0 losses, and 11 knockouts, so he has never lost. Besides that, he is younger, shorter, and can reach farther than Elias Diaz. Elias Diaz is not the favorite to win this fight. He has won 12 times, lost once, and been knocked out 7 times. His height, age, and unknown reach are all givens. His record shows that he has only lost once, but that loss was to Curiel, who is much better than him. Because of these things, I think Raul Curiel will win the fight by knockout early on. He's stronger, faster, and has more experience than Elias Diaz. His offensive style is also likely to beat him. Of course, in boxing, anything can happen. Elias Diaz could surprise us with a great fight. However, it's clear that Raul Curiel has the upper hand in this fight. He seems to be better in every way.