Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz LIVE: Boxing fight result and reaction from Dallas
Relive the action as YouTube star Jake Paul beats former UFC star Diaz by unanimous decision in 10-round fight
Jake Paul beat Nate Diaz by unanimous decision in their highly-anticipated boxing match in Dallas as he knocked down the mixed martial arts star en route to victory.
Diaz was fighting for the first time since leaving the UFC and proved an awkward opponent on his boxing debut in front of a Texas crowd that was hugely in his favour, although he lacked the power to really hurt his heavily-favoured opponent.
YouTuber Paul knocked him down in the fifth round of their 10-round contest but Diaz got back to his feet and made the final bell. However, the judges’ scorecards showed the relatively one-sided nature of the victory as he prevailed 97-92, 98-91, 98-91.
With his record as a professional boxer now at 7-1, attention turns to Paul’s next contest. He has offered Diaz $10m for a fight under MMA rules, with the former UFC star considering the offer, while a rematch to avenge his sole loss earlier this year against Tommy Fury – half-brother of world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson – could also be a possibility.
Relive the fight below.
Amanda Serrano announces surprise return to MMA with PFL
Undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano will return to mixed martial arts, she announced on Wednesday (2 July).
Serrano defends her titles in a rematch with Heather Hardy on Saturday, on the undercard of Jake Paul’s boxing match with UFC icon Nate Diaz, and the Puerto Rican will then look ahead to an MMA bout.
Serrano, 34, is 2-0-1 in MMA and last fought in 2021, and her next contest in the sport will take place in the Professional Fighters League (PFL). A date for that fight will be confirmed in due course, the promotion said.
Serrano is promoted by YouTube star Paul, who has gone 6-1 as a professional boxer and also signed an MMA deal with the PFL this year.
Amanda Serrano announces surprise return to MMA with PFL
The undisputed featherweight boxing champion is 2-0-1 in mixed martial arts
Nate Diaz exits UFC with the most unique of legacies
Picture Nate Diaz. If his face is not covered in a cascade of crimson, then you’re doing it wrong.
For that will be the lasting image of the American, the UFC’s great gunslinger who was often beaten, often bloodied, but remained – in his own word – “undefeated”.
When Diaz was paired with Khamzat Chimaev in UFC 279’s original main event, the overriding feeling among the MMA fandom was that the 37-year-old was being put out to pasture. Diaz had long wished to get in the Octagon one last time to see out UFC contract, only to be put on ice for more than a year after losing to now-welterweight champion Leon Edwards last June. The option presented to the fan favourite was this: Chimaev or no one.
Nate Diaz exits UFC with the most unique of legacies
Forget the American’s record, but remember the blood, the soundbites, and the upsets
Undercard previews
Amanda Serrano vs Heather Hardy
A fight that could have been the main event in it’s own right.
Undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano takes in Heather Hardy for the second time in her career with the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles on the line.
These two legends of women’s boxing will fight each other again after a thriller in Madison Square Garden back in 2019.
Serrano dethroned Hardy that night after flying out of the traps early, and will be keen to show everyone she’s still got that knockout power in this one.
As the final match-up before Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz, this one could arguably be the fight of the night.
Undercard previews
Shadasia Green vs Olivia Curry
Shadasia Green is a mandatory challenger for Savannah Marshall’s undisputed super-middleweight titles with multiple governing bodies.
She no doubt has a championship match in mind but has decided to tackle a strong opponent in Olivia Curry whil she waits for a shot.
Curry is a dangerous underdog though and Green will need to remain focused on the job at hand if she wants to get through this fight with another victory.
Undercard previews
Ashton Sylve vs William Silva
Teenager Sylve is back in action after a frustrating year has seen him fight just once after a proposed Saudi Arabian fight was cancelled due to injury.
In William Silva, he faces a veteran and will need to be near his best to avoid an embarrassing hit to his burgeoning career.
Undercard previews
Chris Avila vs Jeremy Stephens
Chris Avila takes a massive step up to face former UFC featherweight contender Jeremy Stephens. In his MMA career, Avila never came close to the heights of Stephens’ career, which wasn’t amazingly successful in itself.
Both men are fearless fighters and as they come from a more bloody sport (at times) expect this one to be a bit of a slugfest over tactical boxing.
Undercard previews
Alan Sanchez vs Angel Beltran Villa
This fight will kick off the night with Beltran likely the favourite of the two although this match-up could easily be described as 50/50.
A Sanchez victory is not out of the question at all and it will be the perfect opener for the evening.
Before this fight, there will be three non-televised prelims; Kevin Newman II vs Quilisto Madera, Noel Cavazos vs Jose Aguayo and Luciano Ramos vs Cee Jay Hamilton.
Nate Diaz’s last fight
Nate Diaz submits Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 after Khamzat Chimaev runs through Kevin Holland
Nate Diaz exited the UFC with a submission victory on Saturday, beating fellow fan favourite Tony Ferguson in the final fight of his UFC contract.
Diaz had been scheduled to take on the UFC’s fastest-rising star, Khamzat Chimaev, in the main event of UFC 279, but Chimaev weighed in seven-and-a-half pounds over the welterweight limit, causing the card to be drastically reworked.
American Diaz ultimately took on compatriot Ferguson, who was originally due to face Li Jingliang. The Chinaman instead fought Daniel Rodriguez, whose original opponent Kevin Holland went up against Chimaev.
Nate Diaz submits Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 after Chimaev runs through Kevin Holland
The card at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena had to be drastically reworked after Chimaev missed weight for his scheduled clash with Diaz
Paul vs Diaz a good match-up
Nate Diaz is a good match-up for this point in Jake Paul’s career. He’s not a professional boxer but has a heap of fighting experience and is a well known name in fighting circles so will bring in the numbers for PPV.
His MMA record is 21-13 which is pretty patchy, but he’s been a fan favourite for years in the UFC anyway due to the nature of his fights and how he conducts himself in defeat.
Diaz has mainly fought at welterweight but sometimes at lightweight earlier in career. He’s never won a UFC title, and left the UFC last September after submitting Tony Ferguson but vowed to return at some point.
Jake Paul’s latest fight is not about Jake Paul
Raise your hand if you thought Jake Paul’s boxing venture had come to an end with his loss to Tommy Fury in February. It’s okay, you don’t look silly; you weren’t the only one. So, go on: Raise that hand, nod your head, or let out a sigh. You don’t have to carry the burden anymore.
Many believed that fight marked the endgame of this particular endeavour, even before it had played out. A win would have allowed the YouTube star, 26, to say he had beaten a professional boxer, after several wins against mixed martial artists; a loss would have signalled the dissipation of any momentum and intrigue that the American had built over the last few years.
Except even in defeat by Fury – a points loss to the half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson – a degree of intrigue has remained, though Paul’s momentum did indeed take a hit. In the lead-up to that bout in Saudi Arabia, Paul had already hinted that his next challenge could be a boxing match with Nate Diaz, who left the UFC with the most unique of legacies in September. Paul’s plan, of course, was to defeat Fury, stay unbeaten, then move on to face Diaz, but the master promoter has managed to stay on track in spite of his loss. In Dallas this Saturday, Paul will take on Diaz in another fight that will be deemed a circus act but that will nonetheless attract a significant audience.
Jake Paul’s latest fight is not about Jake Paul
After Paul’s past wins against a trio of mixed martial artists, the MMA community is desperate to see their beloved Nate Diaz come out unscathed – and hopefully on top
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