Watch: Nate Diaz, Jake Paul share first staredown

It was a novel press convention with each fighters showcasing their personalities. At one level, Diaz briefly excused himself to make use of the restroom, whereas Paul held up a toy monkey, claiming it resembled Diaz’s thought course of. 

Last November, Diaz (21-13 MMA) turned a free agent after 15 years with the UFC and hinted at a transfer to boxing. He will now make his boxing debut in opposition to Paul (6-1 boxing) on Aug. 5. 

“My plan in fighting is always to fight the biggest name and the best fighters there are,” Diaz stated. “When I was on the way out [of the UFC, Jake Paul] was doing the biggest and best things for fighting…I was glad I had a worthy opponent as soon as I got out.”

Paul should defeat Diaz to return to the win column. He suffered his first boxing defeat to Tommy Fury by cut up resolution in February. He hopes so as to add one other win over a former UFC star to his resume, having beforehand overwhelmed Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Ben Askren. 

“I think [Nate Diaz’s] going to be sharp for a couple of rounds but there’s just nothing he can do to stop me,” Paul stated. “I’m faster, I’m stronger, I’m the better boxer…I see it ending in four rounds or less.”

If he secures a win over Diaz in August, Paul has expressed his intention to problem Diaz’s long-time UFC rival Conor McGregor in boxing, claiming {that a} struggle between the 2 stars is inevitable.

Prior to their assembly on Tuesday, Diaz obtained into an altercation with Paul’s entourage final October. Following Paul’s win over Silva, he claimed that Diaz tried to realize entry to his locker room after which challenged the Stockton, California native to a struggle. 

The two fight sports activities stars are set to settle their variations in a 185-pound bout contracted for eight rounds on the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.