Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz: When and how did the pair's rivalry begin?
Nate Diaz has always been immensely popular amongst the MMA and combat sports community, and his fame shot to meteoric levels when he defeated Conor McGregor.
Jake Paul has more recently become a sensation, kicking off the movement of YouTuber fights, when he took on KSI in a landmark event. Since then, Paul has very publicly instigated animosity with some of MMA's biggest stars, including Conor McGregor, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren, the latter two of whom he ended up fighting.
Another notable name Paul called out was Nate Diaz. The two also ended up facing off, when Diaz got into a fight with a member of Paul's camp, in a leadup to Paul's fight against Anderson Silva. When reporters asked Paul about the altercation, he said:
"He (Diaz) was acting like a bitch. He tried to fight people in the hallway."
Speaking on the fight, Paul all but summed up their rivalry. He said:
"This fight has been brewing for a long time. Our crews have gotten into fights. The beef is there. The shit talk is there. We both said what we needed to say. Now, he's out of the UFC. The deal is done. The contract has been signed. This one is going to be a war."
Check out Paul's preview of the fight here:
Jake Paul on fighting Nate Diaz: “This fight has been brewing for a long time.” 😤
(via @jakepaul) https://t.co/QjuCt7mZcY
Jake Paul to box Nate Diaz, MMA Fight may loom on the horizon
Jake Paul took to Twitter to announce the Diaz fight, and branded it Diaz's "funeral". The fight will be streamed on DAZN PPV. It was originally unclear if this was a boxing or MMA bout.
August 5th we commemorate the funeral for Nathaniel Diaz as we send him in casket back to Dana.
Refreshments will be provided at the service. Black Tie Attire.
Watch #PaulDiaz live on @DAZNBoxing PPV globally.
Follow @MostVpromotions for the latest updates. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/1DRfFzoayp
Given Paul's signing with the PFL, fans speculated as to whether this would be his MMA debut. Ariel Helwani, however, confirmed on Twitter that it would indeed be a boxing match.
BREAKING!
Nathan Diaz vs. Jake Paul in a pro boxing bout is a DONE DEAL.
The details:
Aug. 5, 2023.
Dallas.
DAZN PPV.
Eight rounds.
185 pounds. https://t.co/5lqclPhTW1
Depending on the outcome and the amount of money the two are able to draw in their boxing fight, this may indicate whether an MMA bout is likely. Given the superstar status of both fighters, this, on the surface, appears to be an extremely lucrative bout.