This summer will see a showdown between two of the most famous fighters in the world. Officials confirmed on Wednesday 12 April, that the August 5 boxing contest between YouTube star-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul and ex-UFC bad boy Nate Diaz will take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The fight is set for eight rounds and 10-ounce gloves at 185 pounds. DAZN will distribute the PPV fight around the world.
Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and Diaz’s Real Fight Inc. will split the proceeds evenly from the event. This will be Diaz’s first professional boxing contest, as well as his first fight outside of the UFC in 15 years. Diaz has fought in some of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view events, and Paul has become a draw in boxing despite his lack of experience as per the reports.
Over the past 18 months, Diaz and Paul have traded insults on social media and in interviews. In October, Diaz’s team and Paul’s team got into an altercation backstage at a boxing event where Paul and UFC star Anderson Silva were the main attractions. After defeating Silva, Paul gave an interview in which he issued a challenge to Diaz.
Diaz has competed in mixed martial arts at 155 pounds and, more recently, 170. Professionally, Paul has competed at a weight of 191.5 pounds. For Fury, he registered at 183.6 pounds.
Paul was 6-1 going into his final fight in February, but he was defeated by Tommy Fury (brother of heavyweight great Tyson) by a split decision. The Ohioan who now lives and trains in Puerto Rico has a perfect record versus mixed martial arts competitors like Silva, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren, the latter two of whom he knocked out. 26-year-old Paul has been in the industry for barely two years.
“My last fight didn’t end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations,” Paul stated. Now everyone thinks I’m weak when in reality I’m more determined than ever.
My team wanted me to battle KSI next because they thought it would be easy, but I’m not made that way. “Nate Diaz and his camp have been talking too much for too long, and it’s hurting their reputation as one of the most badass fighters in history.
You can also take a look at the trailer released for Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz Fight below:
At UFC 279 in September, Diaz (21-13) finished up his contract with a submission victory over Tony Ferguson. The product of Stockton, California gave Conor McGregor his first loss in the UFC in 2016.
The 37-year-old Diaz has been the main attraction at 10 UFC events and won The Ultimate Fighter 5 in 2007. He sparred with world-class boxer Andre Ward and is widely regarded as one of MMA’s all-time greats.
“Besides Canelo, he’s the biggest thang in boxing,” Diaz said in a statement. “I’m here to conquer that. I’m the King of combat sports and then I’m headed back to get my UFC belts. I f—ed up Conor for acting out and now here I am again, like a Super Hero of the Real Fight game, the King of the Real Fight game.”
Diaz has stated his intention to return to the UFC, leaving the door open for a potential trilogy bout with McGregor. On the other hand, Paul has previously discussed a rematch with Tommy Fury or the aforementioned fight with fellow YouTube sensation KSI. The showdown between Paul and Diaz, however, was too intriguing to ignore.
“Jake’s star power and popularity continue to command massive audiences worldwide,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement. “His most recent bout, Paul vs. Fury, surpassed more than 800,000 pay-per-view purchases and was a commercial success for all our partners.
Jake remains one of the most avidly followed fighters in the sport and all eyes are on him, wondering what’s next. Well, what’s next is one of the most vicious men ever in the cage.”
There have been no additional bouts confirmed for the event, but given the animosity between the two teams, it’s possible that Paul and Diaz’s colleagues will be involved in the undercard bouts.
“Nate’s departure from the UFC made him the most sought-after free agent in combat sports history with all eyes looking to see what his next move would be,” Real Fight Inc. president Zach Rosenfield said in a statement.
“In choosing to make his boxing debut against Jake Paul, Nate found an opponent where there is an organic, non-scripted backstory that motivates him and will clearly capture the excitement of audiences throughout the world.”
take a look at other related articles we have covered about Jake Paul:
- Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul Charged with Crypt0 Promotion
- Who Won in a Fight Between Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury?
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