by David P. Greisman

Jo Jo Dan had fought at junior middleweight before. But there is a big difference between facing Rafael Jackiewicz and Jarrett Hurd.

Jackiewicz, who Dan outpointed in September 2015, was a fringe welterweight contender. Hurd might be one of the top 154-pound prospects out there right now. Dan never posed any danger to Hurd. He put up some resistance and put forth plenty of effort, but Hurd was able to land clean, fast and hard for a sixth-round technical knockout.

“The weight was a big difference,” Dan said afterward. “I took the fight on short notice, but I'm a natural 147-pounder and I don't struggle to make that.”

Dan had lost to welterweight titleholder Kell Brook back in March 2015. He hadn’t fought since the Jackiewicz fight but was called into action after Hurd’s original opponent, Jorge Cota, fell out and a potential replacement in Willie Nelson opted not to take the fight.

Dan at least didn’t come in to lose, even if he had little chance of leaving with the victory.

"He's a tough guy. I gave him some good shots and I took some good shots,” Dan said. “At the end of the day this is boxing. I couldn't do enough to get the win."

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