Don’t refer to Las Vegas bantamweight Floyd Diaz as “Cash Flow” anymore.
“I feel like I grew out of that,” he said in advance of his Sunday bout. “It definitely was something that part of my life and obviously something you can’t forget.”
Old moniker. Same ambition. New promotor.
Christened “Cash Flow” by Floyd Mayweather as one of his former proteges, Diaz is hoping to build momentum as Zuffa Boxing’s first-ever signee. Diaz, the 23-year-old unbeaten 118-pounder (14-0, three knockouts), debuted in January under the banner and returns to the ring for Zuffa Boxing 8 at the Chelsea inside the Cosmopolitan, where lightweights Edwin De Los Santos and Jose Valenzuela top the marquee.
“Getting on the first card for Zuffa was amazing,” Diaz said, standing 5-foot-6 with a 66-inch reach, jet black hair and a champion’s confidence. “It’s making history. It’s like the first-ever UFC 1. The goal now is to be the first-ever bantamweight Zuffa world champion.”
Being a professional boxer was the only dream Diaz had in mind as a native Las Vegan with working-class parents who had him in gyms across the city. A regular at Mayweather Boxing Club, where the undefeated five-division champion trained, he caught his attention and garnered the nickname he’s since discarded.
A segment of HBO’s “24/7” — shoulder programming for its premier boxing matchups — ahead of Mayweather’s 2010 matchup with Shane Mosley showed Diaz, then 6, hitting mitts with (two division-champion and Mayweather’s late trainer and uncle) Roger Mayweather like a seasoned pro.
Viral fame followed.
“That kid that they’ve seen back then is not who I am now,” Diaz affirmed, the alias inked on his left forearm. On his right forearm reads “The Money Team,” a nod to the camp with which he once trained. Other tattoos include a “777” and a money rose, also on his right hand and arm.
“I’ve grown from the little mitts,” said Diaz, an attendee at several of Mayweather’s fights and other prominent fights in town.
“Now it’s all about performance and excellence now.”
With more than 200 amateur bouts — fought across the country while he was homeschooled online — Diaz inked a deal with Top Rank, debuting professionally in 2021. His undefeated record, however, amassed on the undercards of world-champion fighters (including Shakur Stevenson, DevinHaney, Artur Beterbiev and Vasiliy Lomachenko) wasn’t enough to keep him under contract.
Top Rank didn’t extend Diaz’s deal after his 13th and final win on their banner — a decision over Mario Hernandez on Sept. 27, 2024 at Madison Square Garden’s Theater — prompting 15 months of inactivity. To make end’s meet while out of the ring, he did door-to-door sales and worked retail, aligning with manager Edwin McCoy.
“Would I have liked to fight then while I was biding my time? Maybe,” Diaz said. “But we waited for the perfect time. The opportunity came when it was supposed to. It was all God’s timing. That’s why I got signed with … Zuffa. That’s why we’re at where we’re at right now. No rush.”
With the help of McCoy, Diaz became the first boxer to sign with Zuffa, fighting on Jan. 23 on its inaugural card at the Meta Apex. Beating Guillermo Guttierez via dominant decision made Diaz feel “blessed” and proud of the way his patience paid off.
Andres Teran (18-2, 13 KOs) awaits him Sunday at the Cosmopolitan, where he hasn’t yet fought, following several weeks of prep at UFC’s Performance Institute. Perhaps another moniker awaits him as well.
“I’ll let the people decide,” Diaz said. “And if something else that I feel like I like comes about, or my team and I, we come together or something, then we’ll probably go with it.”
So long, “Cash Flow.”
Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on X.
