Jake Paul Offers Nate Diaz Rematch at PFL — Talks Of A $10M Purse
Jake Paul has emerged victorious once again in his ongoing battles against MMA fighters. In a highly anticipated bout, Paul defeated Nate Diaz via unanimous decision at the American Airlines Center in front of a sold-out crowd. Although Paul had Diaz hurt in the early rounds and appeared poised to secure an early finish, Diaz displayed his resilience and made it a competitive fight.
Acknowledging Diaz's toughness, Paul stated in his post-fight interview, "He's tough, real tough. That's his reputation. But toughness alone doesn't cut it in this sport. I knocked him down, won almost every round, but he's a warrior. I had him hurt in the first round, and he just kept coming. Not many people can endure that much damage. I credit my team and conditioning for this win. Going 10 rounds in only my eighth fight is unheard of. I've been boxing for just three years, and yet I've defeated a UFC legend."
Following the fight, Paul extended a challenge to Diaz for an MMA bout, and Diaz seemed open to the idea. Paul, along with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), has even offered Diaz a substantial $10 million to make the fight happen. Diaz expressed his interest in a rematch, stating, "If I just lost, I would like to rematch him in this [boxing]. But if not, I would do MMA. I'll do whatever it takes to get a rematch."
Although Paul dropped Diaz in the fifth round, Diaz managed to recover and even teased the idea of putting Paul in a guillotine choke during the tenth and final round. Ultimately, Paul outlanded Diaz 174-143 in total punches. Diaz found success on the inside, while Paul utilized a potent left hook from the outside that repeatedly hurt Diaz.
Explaining his strategy, Paul commented, "He wasn't defending against the left hook effectively. He was focusing more on defending against straight punches. So I took advantage of that by maneuvering around his guard and targeting the body with the right hook."
Diaz revealed to ESPN that he had injured his arm during training, which affected his jab according to his boxing coach, Richard Perez, who spoke at the post-fight news conference.
At 26 years old, Jake Paul boasts victories over former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley (including one by knockout), as well as a knockout win against former MMA champion Ben Askren. He has been a professional boxer since 2020. On the other hand, Nate Diaz, 38, made his professional boxing debut in this fight. The contest took place at 185 pounds, the heaviest weight Diaz has fought at throughout his lengthy career.
Reflecting on his decision to increase his weight, Diaz told ESPN, "If I could do it again, I would've avoided gaining weight because I think it slowed me down a bit during training camp."
Diaz, a former UFC star, spent 17 years with the promotion and became one of its biggest names. In 2016, he famously choked out Conor McGregor, handing McGregor his first UFC loss. Diaz left the UFC as a free agent after defeating Tony Ferguson in September. He established Real Fight Inc. and vowed to pursue the biggest and most captivating fights on his own terms.
The fight between Paul and Diaz was a joint venture between Real Fight Inc. and Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, with both fighters expected to earn a significant eight-figure payday, surpassing Diaz's earnings from any of his UFC fights. This match-up was arguably one of the most significant fights in Paul's career. Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP, stated that Diaz was the first "A-side" opponent—a proven pay-per-view draw—that Paul had faced in his career.
Tensions ran high throughout the week leading up to the fight. Paul and his team managed to provoke Diaz during a press conference, resulting in a skirmish between the security guards of both camps. Physical altercations also occurred during the weigh-in. Diaz attributed these incidents to differences in philosophy and generational gaps, with him representing the traditional martial artist against Paul's Gen Z influencer culture.
Despite the heated exchanges, Paul and Diaz appeared to reconcile after the fight, with Diaz giving credit to Paul's abilities. "He's a big, athletic dude, and he hits hard," Diaz acknowledged during the news conference. "But it's nothing I haven't seen before."
