Jake Paul predicts a fifth-round knockout in the upcoming boxing match against Nate Diaz, and hopes for a $10 million MMA rematch.
Jake Paul, a renowned internet celebrity turned boxer, is setting his sights on an upcoming boxing match with Nate Diaz on Saturday. During an episode of The MMA Hour, Paul spoke confidently about his impending match with Diaz, predicting a fifth-round knockout. “I’m not concerned,” he stated. “I know I want it more. I know what I did in training, we had people mimicking him exactly. Yes, he may land a few hits.” Further elaborating on his strategy, Paul shared, “That only wakes me up. I’m going to get hit and hit him harder, keep on going, weather the storm, and end his career.”
The 26-year-old Jake Paul is scheduled to fight Diaz in a 10-round boxing bout this weekend at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. This fight will usher in Diaz’s pro boxing debut and represent his first professional fight outside the UFC since he started with the promotion in 2007. Diaz is joining the list of former UFC champions including Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silvia, and former Bellator and ONE champion Ben Askren to spar with Paul in a boxing ring. While Paul acknowledges Diaz’s impressive run in MMA, he is dismissive of Diaz’s behavior outside the ring. As for Paul, “I respect his career, not him as a person. He’s a bully, he’s a punk… I’m going to bully the bully on Saturday.”
Though unfazed by the possibility of Diaz forcing a fight outside the ring in Dallas, Paul is apprehensive about whether Diaz will accept an offered $10 million MMA rematch post their bout on Saturday. Currently, tied to the PFL, Paul foresees his entry into the promotion’s pay-per-view “super fight division” whenever he decides to debut in professional MMA. However, during their conversation on The MMA Hour, Diaz showed no interest in battling Paul in the PFL. Proposing to either face off in the UFC or partner with Diaz’s Real Fight Inc promotional arm.
Jake Paul optimistically believes that should he win on Saturday, Diaz will indeed crave a rematch. “Once I beat him on Saturday, he’s going to want revenge,” Paul affirmed, certain that Diaz would not earn as much if he loses, anywhere else. Meanwhile, Paul finds Diaz’s support for the UFC peculiar given his history of seeking a departure from the promotion and repeated battles with UFC executives. Despite this, Diaz hinted that a future UFC fight is probably in the cards. Commenting on this, Paul noted, “I guess he’s a house boy and loves to kiss Dana’s [White] finger.”. This ongoing banter between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz sets the stage for an explosive showdown that fans eagerly anticipate.