Nate Diaz to Make Pro Boxing Debut Against Jake Paul This Summer

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nate Diaz is preparing for his first-ever boxing match this summer…

The 37-year-old half-Mexican American professional mixed martial artist and ex-UFC bad boy will fight YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul in a boxing match on August 5 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The bout will be contested at 185 pounds and is contracted for eight rounds with 10-ounce gloves. The pay-per-view bout will be distributed globally by DAZN.

The event will be a 50-50 collaboration between Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and Diaz’s Real Fight Inc.

It will be the first time Diaz has ever promoted himself, the first time he’ll fight outside the UFC in 15 years and his first career pro boxing match. Diaz has competed in some of the biggest pay-per-view events in UFC history, and Paul has made a name for himself as a boxing draw despite his experience level.

Diaz and Paul have exchanged trash talk on social media and in interviews over the past 18 months. In October, during a boxing event headlined by Paul and UFC legend Anderson Silva, Diaz’s team and Paul’s team got into an altercation backstage. And Paul challenged Diaz in his post-fight interview after defeating Silva.

Diaz has typically fought in MMA at 155 pounds and more recently at 170 pounds. Paul has fought as heavy as 191.5 pounds as a pro. He weighed in at 183.6 pounds for Fury.

Paul (6-1) lost his first career boxing match in his last bout to Tommy Fury, the brother of heavyweight great Tyson, back in February via split decision. The Ohio native, who trains out of Puerto Rico, is undefeated against MMA fighters, including Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren; he beat the latter two by knockout. Paul, 26, has only been a pro since 2020.

“My last fight didn’t end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations,” Paul said in a statement. “Now, the world thinks I am vulnerable, when all I am is more focused than ever. My team wanted me to take an easy fight like KSI next, but that’s not how I am built. Nate Diaz is considered one of the most bad-ass fighters of all time, but he and his team have been running their mouths for too long.”

Diaz (21-13) fought out his UFC contract with a submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September. The Stockton, California, native handed Conor McGregor his first UFC loss back in 2016. Diaz has headlined 10 UFC events and won The Ultimate Fighter 5 tournament in 2007. He’s one of the most popular fighters in MMA history and is a former sparring partner of top boxer Andre Ward.

“Besides Canelo, he’s the biggest thang in boxing,” Diaz said in a statement. “I’m here to conquer that. I’m the King of combat sports and then I’m headed back to get my UFC belts. I f—ed up Conor for acting out and now here I am again, like a Super Hero of the Real Fight game, the King of the Real Fight game.”

Diaz has made it known that he plans on returning to the UFC in the future with a McGregor trilogy fight still on the table down the road. Paul, meanwhile, had talked about a Tommy Fury rematch next or the aforementioned bout with fellow YouTube star KSI. But Paul vs. Diaz was too big of a matchup to pass up.

“Jake’s star power and popularity continue to command massive audiences worldwide,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement. “His most recent bout, Paul vs. Fury, surpassed more than 800,000 pay-per-view purchases and was a commercial success for all our partners. Jake remains one of the most avidly followed fighters in the sport and all eyes are on him, wondering what’s next. Well, what’s next is one of the most vicious men ever in the cage.”

No other fights have been announced for the event, though given the bad blood between the two teams it wouldn’t be surprising to see Paul and Diaz teammates on the undercard.

“Nate’s departure from the UFC made him the most sought-after free agent in combat sports history with all eyes looking to see what his next move would be,” Real Fight Inc. president Zach Rosenfield said in a statement. “In choosing to make his boxing debut against Jake Paul, Nate found an opponent where there is an organic, non-scripted backstory that motivates him and will clearly capture the excitement of audiences throughout the world.”

Anderson Silva to Fight Jake Paul in 187-Pound Boxing Match in October

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Anderson Silva has locked in his next opponent…

The 47-year-old former UFC-middleweight-champion-turned-boxer will meet YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul in a boxing match on October 29 in Phoenix, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions announced Tuesday.

The bout will be contested at 187 pounds over eight three-minute rounds. Silva is one of the greatest champions in UFC history and holds the record for most consecutive victories ever in the promotion (16).

“The plan is for me to fight at 185 [pounds] going forward and that’s what I wanted this fight at given it was the weight Anderson Silva fought at during his reign as the most dominant UFC champion ever,” Paul told ESPN. “Anderson’s team asked if we could set the weight at 187, 2 pounds more than what I wanted. That level of professionalism and precision is appreciated, and of course I agreed to his request.”

Paul was supposed to fight Tommy Fury last month at New York’s Madison Square Garden, but Fury withdrew because of what he said were travel issues coming to the United States from England. Fury’s replacement was Hasim Rahman Jr., son of the former boxing heavyweight champion, but that bout was canceled because of weight complications with Rahman.

This will be Paul’s fourth fight against a former UFC fighter. Previously, Paul knocked out Ben Askren and went 2-0 against former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, the most recent bout a knockout win over Woodley in December. Paul has not fought since then.

Silva, though well past his prime, has a better résumé than both Woodley and Askren in MMA and boxing. He was the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world for stretches during his lengthy title reign from 2006 to 2013 and one of the most creative knockout artists ever in that sport.

In boxing, Silva is 3-1 as a pro, with his best win coming over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last year. Silva fought Bruno Machado in an exhibition boxing match in May and looked solid there. He has also knocked out former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in boxing.

“I know that in life everything has its purpose,” Silva said in a statement. “Nothing comes just by chance. So, I thank God for my health, my family and my team for providing me with this opportunity to continue doing the thing that I love the most. I believe this will be the biggest combat event of the year and will truly make history in the sport forever. See you on October 29.”

Prominent people in combat sports, including UFC president Dana White, have been critical of Paul’s opponents, and White has even suggested that Paul should fight Silva, which would be more of a “real fight.”

“Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva is the most versatile fighter the world has ever seen,” Paul said in a statement. “Just a year ago he outclassed boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and showed the world why he is often referred to as the greatest fighter of all time. Every expert, from MMA to boxing, has said Jake Paul won’t fight Anderson Silva. They said Jake Paul is afraid of Anderson Silva, and Jake Paul would lose to Anderson Silva. Well, to all the non-believers – Jake Paul is fighting Anderson Silva. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to share the ring with the greatest UFC striker of all time. On Saturday, October 29, I will walk humbly into the ring, touch gloves with a living legend and do my best to exterminate ‘The Spider.'”

“Jake Paul continues to take on challenges that other professional fighters at his experience level and popularity never have,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP, in a statement. “Jake appreciates the platform that he has and always aims to provide fans with a compelling product that drives engagement. Anderson Silva is unequivocally the most exciting striker in UFC history. Those abilities have translated into his professional boxing career, and he most certainly has the ability to end Jake’s unbeaten streak. It’s an honor for Most Valuable Promotions to have one of the GOATs of combat sports headline our event. He is already a Hall of Famer in our books.”

Adriano Moraes to Defend ONE Championship 135-Pound Title in Rematch Against Demetrious Johnson

Posted on June 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s rematch time for Adriano Moraes.

The 33-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist will fight Demetrious Johnson this summer.

Moraes will fight Johnson, one of the best MMA fighters of all time, in a rematch for the ONE Championship 135-pound title on August 26 in Singapore.

Moraes knocked out Johnson in an upset victory to defend the belt in April 2021.

Moraes (19-3) stopped Johnson via second-round knockout with a knee. The Brazil native, who lives and trains in Florida, has won three straight and has held the ONE 135-pound title since January 2019.

Moraes has won 11 of his past 13 fights in ONE overall.

Johnson (30-4-1) owns the record for the most consecutive UFC title defenses of all time (11), holding the title from 2012 to 2018. The Washington native was traded from the UFC to ONE in an exchange for Ben Askren in the fall of 2018.

Johnson most recently competed in a mixed rules match for ONE, beating Muay Thai standout Rodtang Jitmuangnon via second-round submission in March.

“Mighty Mouse” won the ONE 135-pound grand prix tournament in 2019, setting up the fight with Moraes last year. He is 3-1 since coming to ONE and his only loss other than Moraes in the past 11 years came against Henry Cejudo in a UFC flyweight title bout in August 2018.

Jorge Masvidal Signs New Contract Extension with UFC

Posted on March 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Masvidal is celebrating a big extension.…

The 37-year-old Cuban and Peruvian American mixed martial artist has signed a new contract with the UFC just days before one of the biggest fights of his career.

While terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, Masvidal’s co-agent, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, announced on social media that Masvidal penned an extension that would make him one of the top-five highest-paid fighters on the UFC roster.

Masvidal, who has been a pro fighter since 2003, fights his former best friend and roommate Colby Covington in a heated grudge match Saturday at UFC 272 at T-Mobile Arena.

Kawa wrote on Instagram that Masvidal’s deal was signed after five months of negotiations with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell.

Masvidal has become one of the biggest stars in MMA after a late-career renaissance that was jump-started in 2019 with knockouts of Darren Till and Ben Askren and a TKO win over Nate Diaz. Masvidal’s five-second running knee KO of Askren was the fastest finish in UFC history.

“His contract pays him like a champion and then some,” Kawa, who represents Masvidal along with his brother Abe Kawa, told ESPN. “And the length of time will be that he will finish his career in the UFC.”

Masvidal (35-15) has dropped two straight, both in UFC welterweight title fights against Kamaru Usman, ESPN‘s top pound-for-pound fighter. A Miami native, he has been in the UFC for nine years. Masvidal fought all over the world before that and began his career doing backyard fighting in South Florida alongside the likes of the late Kimbo Slice.

At the UFC 272 news conference Thursday, Masvidal noted that he’ll be getting a portion of the pay-per-view revenue from the card, while Covington, his opponent, will not. Covington has said this fight, because of how personal it is, is not about the money.

“My kids’ kids are gonna be good for a long time,” Masvidal said of his new contract. “So you sell that pay-per-view, boy.”

Oscar de la Hoya to Return to the Ring in July

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar de la Hoya is officially coming out of retirement…

The 48-year-old Mexican American former professional boxer and boxing legend has a date in mind for his previously stated plan to return to the ring.

At a news conference for the upstart promoter Triller Fight Club, de la Hoya took the stage alongside Snoop Dogg at the Venetian and suddenly announced that he’d be making his boxing comeback on July 3.

De La Hoya said last August that he would be coming out of retirement, but now there is a date for his return. And he will be promoted by the new fight promotion launched by Triller, the social media app.

Ryan Kavanaugh, the CEO of Triller parent company Proxima Media, told ESPN that he and de la Hoya are “dear friends” and the two have been discussing his return for “a long time.” Kavanaugh said the card will take place in Texas — possibly AT&T Stadium — and the promotion is targeting a “big” UFC name for de la Hoya’s opponent.

“He has been [training] and in his own words, he’s stronger and better than ever,” Kavanaugh said of De La Hoya.

Sources told ESPN that de la Hoya has a multifight deal with Triller and this will not be a one-off bout.

de la Hoya, a former six-division boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist, has not fought since a 2008 loss to Manny Pacquiao. He’s one of the best drawing boxers in the sport’s history. The news conference was held Friday to promote Triller Fight Club’s April 17 card, which is headlined by YouTube star Jake Paul and former UFC fighter and wrestling Olympian Ben Askren.

Jorge Masvidal Signs Multi-Fight Contract with the UFC

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Masvidal has a new deal…

The 35-year-old Cuban and Peruvian American mixed martial artist has signed a new multi-fight contract with the UFC ahead of his bout against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251.

Masvidal tells ESPN the UFC didn’t give him every single thing he asked for but that the deal came “very, very close” to that and he’s “happy” with it.

Masvidal had been one of the most vocal UFC stars in years on the topic of fighter pay. Last month, the welterweight star tweeted that if the UFC didn’t think he was worth it, the promotion should release him.

Those tweets were made as the negotiations between the UFC and Masvidal for a welterweight title fight against Usman fell apart.

On Sunday — just six days before the fight — the two sides finally came to an agreement.

Usman will defend his welterweight belt against Masvidal in the main event of UFC 251 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

Usman’s previous opponent, Gilbert Burns, withdrew Friday because of illness. Masvidal is stepping in on six days’ notice, though he was the challenger the UFC tabbed in the first place before contract talks stalled out.

“I’m happy more than anything because I get to break this guy’s face and get paid for it,” Masvidal said.

Masvidal said the UFC’s first offer last month for him to fight Usman was a “s— deal on the pay-per-view end and on the guaranteed side.”

“I can understand you don’t want to give me that much on the guaranteed,” Masvidal said. “But on the pay-per-view, what I bring in, what people purchase, I want more money on that, and they weren’t budging. And that was that. So, all this craziness had to happen for them to come to their senses.”

Masvidal said he won’t stop speaking up about what he perceives as an issue with how much fighters get paid. But he said things have gotten closer to an understanding between him personally and the UFC.

“We’re not there yet, but we’re headed in that direction,” Masvidal said. “Moving forward after this fight, they’re gonna treat me accordingly. Or I’ll just step in last minute six days to go and get paid then, I guess. That’s the new scheme I have to do, whatever. But I’m gonna get paid every time out.”

Masvidal flew to Las Vegas on Sunday and passed a COVID-19 test. He was quarantining in his hotel room Sunday night and will be taking a private jet to Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Usman is expected to leave Las Vegas on Monday as well.

Regarding training and being ready to fight, Masvidal said he wasn’t in a full training camp because he didn’t know he’d be competing in a fight until this weekend. But “Gamebred” said he had been at his American Top Team gym two or three times a week and lifting and staying active. Masvidal said he weighed 192 pounds on Saturday. He’ll have to weigh 170 pounds at maximum this coming Friday for the title fight to be official.

“I never stopped training,” Masvidal said. “I’m always training. But I’m not always in the gym doing the specifics.” Masvidal said that he believes he’s in adequate shape to fight Saturday, while taking a shot at Usman compared with two of Masvidal’s recent opponents.

“If you’re asking me, are you in shape?” Masvidal said. “… Maybe not to fight Ben Askren. I’m not in Ben Askren shape, because he’s a hell of a wrestler. Or even to fight a guy like Darren Till. But am I in shape for this bum I’m about to decapitate and baptize? Hell yeah.”

Masvidal will have 48 career pro fights Saturday when he makes the walk against Usman (pending further COVID-19 protocols in Abu Dhabi). That’s the second most ever for a fighter appearing in his or her first UFC title fight.

If he wins, Masvidal already knows whom he wants to defend the welterweight belt against: Nate Diaz and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.

Jorge Masvidal to Fight Kamaru Usman in Welterwight Title Bout at UFC 251

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Masvidal is making his title claim…

The 35-year-old Cuban and Peruvian American mixed martial will fight Kamaru Usman in a welterweight title fight on Saturday at UFC 251 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Masvidal passed his coronavirus test, and both he and Usman will be leaving Las Vegas for Abu Dhabi later Monday, sources said.

Usman will be on a charter flight, and Masvidal will fly on a private jet, according to sources.

After arriving in Las Vegas on Sunday, both fighters had to take a coronavirus test and then quarantine while awaiting the results. Had they not passed the tests, the fight wouldn’t have been able to happen.

The UFC worked to salvage Usman’s presence on the card after Gilbert Burns was forced to withdraw Friday night.

For the past two months, the UFC and Masvidal were far apart on contract talks to make this fight happen. In the end, the UFC decided to walk away from negotiations about a month ago and gave the title fight to Burns, who recently beat former champion Tyron Woodley.

Afterward, Masvidal posted a series of tweets criticizing the UFC for its business practices and questioning whether the relationship would be severed for some time. But once Burns was forced off the card late Friday, momentum started to build for the original plan, which is a grudge match months in the making.

Usman and Masvidal have been embroiled in a heated feud that saw the duo get into a shouting match at Super Bowl media row earlier this year in Miami.

On Saturday afternoon, Usman tweeted, “Might be time for the pig to squeal.” Masvidal’s co-manager posted a series of Instagram stories showing Masvidal on the phone, with the caption “negotiating.”

Of course, during the coronavirus pandemic, it isn’t as simple as just agreeing to a fight. Masvidal took and passed a coronavirus antibody test Saturday afternoon. That test shows whether an individual has been exposed to the coronavirus but doesn’t indicate whether the person currently has the virus. The fighters still have to pass more coronavirus tests before fight night, as will all the fighters competing this month in Abu Dhabi.

Masvidal is considered one of the most popular fighters in the sport, with many believing that he was the 2019 fighter of the year after he picked up impressive wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz.

Demian Maia to Fight Ben Askren at UFC Singapore in October

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Demian Maia has lined up his next opponent…

The 41-year-old Brazilian former submission grappler and current mixed martial artist will fight Ben Askren in the main event of UFC Singapore on October 26, according to ESPN.

Askren tweeted earlier this week that the fight was a done deal.

Maia’s background is in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and he’s one of the best ever to utilize that martial art in MMA. He’s a former Abu Dhabi Combat Club grappling champion and International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Pan Americantitleholder.

Askren is a former Olympicwrestler and two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Missouri.

Both Askren and Maia are known for their phenomenal ground games.

Maia (27-9) has won two in a row and nine of his past 12. He’s coming off a majority decision win over Anthony Rocco Martin at UFC Minneapolis in June. Maia is a former UFC welterweight and middleweight title challenger with wins over the likes of Masvidal, Carlos Condit and Chael Sonnen.

Askren (19-1, 1 NC) was undefeated in MMA until he was knocked out in five seconds by Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239last month. He’s a former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion.

Askren was acquired by the UFCvia trade with ONE Championship for Demetrious Johnson last year and quickly made a name for himself with his quick-witted trash talk.

UFC Fighter Nate Diaz Beats Anthony Pettis in First Fight After Three-Year Hiatus

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Nate Diaz is back in a big way…

In his highly anticipated return to the Octagon after a three year absence, the 34-year-old Latino mixed martial artist was excellent in a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) win over Anthony Pettis in the co-main event of UFC 241on Saturday at the Honda Center.

Diaz had not fought since a loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 202on August 20, 2016.

He imposed his will on Pettis early and often. Diaz was able to press Pettis against the cage in every round and land punch combinations, elbows and knees. He closed the first and third rounds in good positions on the ground, an area he also controlled when the fight went there.

Afterward, Diaz said he is interested in fighting Jorge Masvidal next, adding that he was impressed by Masvidal’s five-second knockout of Ben Askren last month.

“All respect to the man, but there ain’t no gangsters in this game anymore. There ain’t nobody who does it right but me and him,” said Diaz, who hails from Stockton, California, and enjoyed a huge partisan crowd on Saturday. “So I know my man’s a gangster, but he ain’t no West Coast gangster.”

At his postfight news conference, UFC president Dana Whitesaid he wouldn’t be opposed to making Diaz-Masvidal fight if that’s what both fighters wanted next.

Diaz (20-11) went 1-1 against McGregor in 2016. They were two of the biggest pay-per-view events in Ultimate Fighting Championshiphistory. Diaz has a huge cult following among fans for his irreverence, exciting fighting style and propensity to flip a double bird. He had not fought since that star-making year because he wasn’t able to come to terms with the UFC.

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