Jake Paul’s MMA debut hinges on whether Nate Diaz agrees to face him in the PFL cage, following their previous boxing match and ongoing challenges for a rematch in mixed martial arts.
Jake Paul’s MMA debut hinges on one thing: Nate Diaz’s willingness to face him in the PFL cage. Paul, who bested the former UFC star via unanimous decision in August 2023 in Dallas, is eager for an MMA rematch. Since then, he and the PFL have been challenging Diaz to step back into the ring—this time under mixed martial arts rules.
In a special roundtable with Amanda Serrano and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, the question of when Paul and Serrano would compete for the PFL arose. “We want to,” Paul told MMA Fighting, “but our opponents don’t really want to.” He added, with a hint of irony, that Nate Diaz seems scared to fight him in MMA. “Biggest payday of his life,” Paul mused. “I’m ready.”
Recently, Paul claimed victory over former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson via unanimous decision. The bout, though heavily criticized, was a massive success at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was Netflix’s first live sporting event, drawing over 100 million viewers—a staggering number.
Bidarian insists Paul will enter the MMA arena, but only against the right opponent. Right now, that opponent is Diaz. “Jake just put on the biggest boxing event in history,” Bidarian said. If Nate Diaz agrees to fight, Jake is ready to shift gears from boxing to MMA. Yet, his focus remains on boxing for now.
After seeing a clip from MMA Fighting’s social media, Diaz responded. He accepted Paul’s challenge but laid out some conditions. “Sign the contract Scary,” Diaz quipped, “and not in 12 months from now and in a shitty organization Scary.”
The ball’s in Nate’s court now. Will he rise to the occasion? Or will the anticipation linger? Only time will tell if this clash becomes reality.