Nate Diaz, after leaving UFC as a free agent, is set to face Jake Paul in his first boxing match, taking place in Dallas.
Nate Diaz had many options when he left the UFC as a free agent, but his first appearance back in the ring is against Jake Paul. Diaz has always been interested in the biggest fights possible, especially after gaining the ability to negotiate his own deals. The 38-year-old fighter is excited about clashing with Paul in a boxing match scheduled for Aug. 5 in Dallas. “My plan in fighting is to always fight the biggest names, and the best fighters there are,” Diaz said during a pre-fight press conference.
Despite a 19-year career in MMA, including over 15 years spent in the UFC, Diaz had long desired the chance to crossover to boxing. Once he was able to fight out his previous UFC contract, Diaz jumped at the chance to test himself in the ring with boxing, which he considers his first real love in combat sports. “I would have been a pro boxer when I was 18 years old but a cage fight came up first, so I was stuck in a cage my whole career. There were times when I got locked in a contract right away from the UFC so I was already locked down from the beginning,” Diaz explained.
As he heads into his first professional boxing match, Diaz doesn’t feel like he’s representing the sport of MMA in the fight with Paul and refuses to be labeled as such. He was upset when Paul’s last opponent, Tommy Fury, tried to paint him as an MMA fighter who might try his hand at boxing. Regarding Paul as an opponent, Diaz complimented the former YouTuber for developing himself into a serious fighter with a desire to evolve and progress his career to even higher levels, noting, “He’s young, he’s motivated, he’s working hard. I can see that. That’s the kind of people I want to fight.”
Both fighters have a lot riding on this matchup, but Diaz, in particular, is betting big on himself after leaving the UFC in free agency. However, it doesn’t sound like he’s worried about the pressure, because he isn’t going anywhere afterward, no matter the result. “I don’t plan on losing to anybody, but no matter what happens, I’ll be here forever. I’ll be fighting. I’ll be here whipping ass the whole time,” Diaz said.