Prediction: Auteba Gautier via KO Rd 1
Gautier has always been known as a powerhouse, but the big difference now is he’s not the same wild brawler he was on the regionals. Since finding his current team, he’s cleaned things up. He takes his time, sets up his boxing, and lets the knockout come to him instead of forcing it. That patience makes him way scarier because his power hasn’t gone anywhere, it’s just landing with way better timing.
Diaz does bring something to the table—he’s got a high pace and solid volume, and that style can give a guy like Gautier problems down the line when he’s facing tougher competition. But in this specific matchup, I just don’t see him surviving long enough to make it matter. To hang with Gautier, you’ve got to be able to eat big shots and stay dangerous, and Diaz hasn’t shown the durability to do that. If I believed he could take Gautier’s punches and keep pressing with that volume, then yeah, Diaz would be live. But against a patient version of Gautier who’s picking his spots, that’s a tall order.
The way this plays out feels pretty straightforward: Diaz will try to get his pace going, but Gautier’s power is going to find him early, and once it does, Diaz will go down. One day Gautier’s going to have to prove he can deal with guys who can survive his shots and drag him deep, but this isn’t that fight. Right now, Gautier’s power, patience, and improved shot selection should be more than enough to get Diaz out of there before that volume ever becomes a problem.