Nate Diaz's forward pressure and durability will overwhelm Jake Paul, claims Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards has revealed his prediction for the upcoming boxing match between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz.
After defeating Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, Diaz announced he would temporarily leave the UFC to pursue other opportunities. Earlier this week, the Stockton native’s next move was revealed as he is scheduled to fight ‘The Problem Child’ in a boxing match on August 5.
During an interview with Sky Sports, Edwards was asked about his prediction for the boxing match. He had this to say:
“I think Jake better be careful. Nate is tough, he’s durable, he’s a great boxer, that’s like his style, very pressure-forward fighter. From seeing Jake fight Tommy [Fury] last time, you can see a lot of holes in his game that’s still like a beginner. If I had to pick, I’d probably favor Nate more…” [19:53-20:18]
Edwards continued by saying:
“I feel like Nate should have enough to beat him. The mentality is there, he’s tough, he’s durable, great cardio, so yeah, let’s see.” [20:40-20:51]
‘Rocky’ has experienced Nate Diaz's boxing skills in the Octagon. In June 2021, they fought at UFC 263, with Leon Edwards emerging victorious by unanimous decision. Although the Birmingham native dominated nearly the entire fight, there was a moment where he wobbled in the last round. Since then, the 31-year-old became the UFC welterweight champion against Kamaru Usman.
Watch Leon Edward's discuss Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz and more below:
Leon Edwards wants Nate Diaz to be the first MMA fighter to defeat Jake Paul
Jake Paul became an enemy to most MMA fans after securing knockouts against Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley in boxing. After losing last time out against Tommy Fury, a professional boxer, Paul is returning to the ring against another MMA fighter.
During the same interview with Sky Sports, Leon Edwards had this to say about Paul fighting Nate Diaz:
“I feel at this point though we need like an MMA guy to win, right? He’s knocked out [Tyron] Woodley, he’s knocked out [Ben] Askren. I’m hoping that Nate can get it done.”[20:21-20:33]
The 185-pound boxing match will be a co-promoted event between Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and Diaz’s Real Fight Inc. Despite the Stockton native having more fighting experience, ‘The Problem Child’ is currently the betting favorite. Only time will tell if the former YouTuber can bounce back from his first professional boxing loss.