A fight night that will also feature big clashes between the likes of Amanda Serrano and Heather Hardy, fans of boxing and MMA are gearing up for the highly anticipated boxing bout between social media sensation, Jake Paul, and MMA legend, Nate Diaz.
Jake Paul and Nate Diaz will face off in a boxing bout on Aug. 5 pic.twitter.com/i0ZFIoKbGb
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 12, 2023
The Problem Child's the favourite
Despite Paul’s inexperience in a combat environment, the wind-up merchant is the favourite heading into the fight. Fans of the YouTuber-turned-boxer are backing him for the win, with one look at the Paul v Diaz betting stakes highlighting just how many people fancy the American social media personality who is currently priced at -300 for the win. Odds of +250 for a Diaz victory certainly stand out for people who bet on boxing matches, though, with many fans of the mixed martial artist making the most of the excellent value that can be had in backing The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner.
Diaz is capable of causing an upset
After a fairly forgettable performance against Tommy Fury in his last fight, the potential for an upset is certainly there for Nate Diaz. Jake Paul struggled to land a punch on Tyson Fury’s brother, while also showcasing his overall naivety in the vital moments of the fight.
For Nate Diaz, a fighting man with a plethora of big victories to his name in the Octagon, going toe-to-toe with an online star certainly won’t phase him. One clean punch can put any novice fighter to sleep, and while fans of Jake Paul will focus on his professional status in the sport, the Ohio-born YouTube veteran hasn’t demonstrated his ability to take a flurry of punches yet. While Diaz lacks experience in the ring and is new to the sweet science, his experience in combat sports will surely stand him in good stead. Of course, fighters from the MMA arena have already been beaten by Jake Paul, but Diaz is arguably a tougher nut to crack than the likes of Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva, particularly as he is fairly fresh out of the Octagon and certainly won’t suffer from any ring rust.
Diaz has excellent cardio and pace
Jake Paul says he is going to knock out Nate Diaz
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) July 16, 2023
Do you believe him? pic.twitter.com/W2OgOYuHAH
Another notable reason why a Jake Paul win is far from a foregone conclusion heading into the event on Saturday, 5 August at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas is due to the excellent cardio Nate Diaz has possessed in his fights over the years. Diaz is capable of setting the pace and dictating the tempo of the fight, bringing a relentless speed that Paul could struggle to handle in the process.
Additionally, while Paul is capable of landing shots early on, Diaz is likely to hang in there and look to exploit the YouTube boxer’s notably poor durability. As seen against Tommy Fury, Paul tends to slow down after blowing his gas tank early on. A similar scenario could result in the perfect situation for Nate Diaz and his team to silence a boxer they’re clearly desperate to beat.
Pressure is on Paul
Make no mistake about it, if Jake Paul is to continue his foray into the world of professional boxing, then he needs to beat Nate Diaz, especially coming off the back of a hugely damaging defeat at the hands of Tommy Fury.
Against Fury in Saudi Arabia at the Diriyah Arena, Paul was comprehensively outboxed and failed to cope with the pressure being put on him. The same could certainly happen against Nate Diaz in Dallas, too.
