Jake Paul looks to add another UFC fan-favorite to his hit list when he meets Nate Diaz in the boxing ring. Paul vs. Diaz headlines the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday night.
Paul’s foray into this half-celebrity, half-professional boxing venture hit its first snag in February. Paul suffered the first defeat of his seven-fight pro career in a split decision loss to his most experienced boxing opponent yet, Tommy Fury. When the potential rematch against Fury was unable to come together, Paul turned his sights back on another former MMA star in Diaz.
“I think Nate was always the plan since he was getting out of the UFC,” Paul said at media day. “Right now, I’m just focusing on this fight, and we’ll see what happens moving on from here. There’s still a lot of big names, a lot of big fights to be made. And again, I’m just going to continue challenging myself and continuing to fight big names in the sport.”
Paul vs. Diaz is an enormous fight when it comes to name value. Diaz is among the most celebrated and beloved fighters in mixed martial arts history.
But it may be a competitive step back as Paul boxes a physically smaller MMA fighter 12 years his senior making his boxing debut. What Diaz has going for him is solid MMA boxing, renowned toughness and a penchant for taunting his foes.
“I’ve been eating a great deal of food and getting heavier,” Diaz said. “I felt [slower] from the start when I was eating and attempting to get large since I was on a weight gain diet, eating a wide range of stuff to get as large as possible. Partially, I was like ‘Buddy, I’m languid and tired and I’m working out like a numskull at this moment’.
“I was lifting weights, bodybuilding and all that stuff. It made me tired and lazy from carrying the extra weight, just made me drowsy. At a certain point I just eased up on it and created a new plan, then I had a lot more energy and started doing more things. I was eating a lot at first and blowing up as much as I could, now I do a fast for half the day and get down when I get down.”
The undisputed women’s featherweight championship is also at stake on Saturday night. Amanda Serrano defends her crown against Heather Hardy in a rematch from their 2019 encounter.
Paul vs. Diaz card, odds
| FAVORITE | UNDERDOG | WEIGHT CLASS |
|---|---|---|
| Jake Paul -450 | Nate Diaz +330 | Catchweight (180 pounds) |
| Amanda Serrano (c) -1500 | Heather Hardy +850 | Undisputed featherweight title |
| Shadasia Green | Olivia Curry | Women’s super middleweights |
| Ashton Sylve | William Silva | Lightweights |
| Alan Sanchez | Angel Beltran Villa | Welterweights |
| Chris Avila | Jeremy Stephens | Super middleweights |
Paul vs. Diaz viewing info
- Date: Aug. 5 | Start time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: American Airlines Center — Dallas
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV/DAZN PPV | Price: $59.99
Paul vs. Diaz countdown
- Brookhouse: Overall fight preview, main event prediction
- Campbell: Paul looks to bounce back as crossovers lose steam
- Brookhouse: Diaz not interested in beef with Paul before fight
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