Tag: Paul vs. Diaz

Conor McGregor: ‘I think Nate Diaz slaps the head off’ Jake Paul

Former UFC star Nate Diaz has Conor McGregor’s support heading into his fight with Jake Paul.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is backing former UFC star [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] against [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag].

Diaz (0-0) meets Paul (6-1) in an eight-round boxing match Aug. 5 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The fight will take place at 185 pounds and be promoted by DAZN with a live pay-per-view broadcast.

Diaz is making his professional boxing debut, but McGregor thinks his former foe will top Paul.

“I think Nate Diaz slaps the head off him, and I look forward to seeing it,” McGregor told Inside Fighting.

Paul, however, thinks otherwise. The YouTube star-turned-boxer not only predicted that he’ll beat Diaz, but also pictures stopping him – and he’s eyeing McGregor after.

“I’m a better boxer than you (Conor) and will do what you couldn’t and knock Nate out,” Paul tweeted. “After Nate let’s box as the co main event same night as Katie Taylor VS. [sic] Amanda Serrano in Dublin. But since you’re not your own boss you will hide behind Dana or just drink the rest of your life away. August 5th you will see.”

McGregor and Diaz fought twice in the UFC, with Diaz scoring an upset submission at UFC 196, and “The Notorious” avenging his loss by majority decision in their rematch at UFC 202.

When asked if he’ll make the trip to Dallas to watch the fight, McGregor said he most likely won’t.

“I’ll probably be on the Lamborghini just off the coast of Sicily,” McGregor responded.

McGregor was in attendance for Saturday night’s boxing showdown between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, sharing words of wisdom with Garcia, who lost to Davis by seventh-round knockout.

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Diaz.

Daniel Cormier: Jake Paul is ‘not as good as we originally thought’

Daniel Cormier says the Tommy Fury fight showed how limited Jake Paul still is as a boxer.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks Tommy Fury exposed [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag].

Paul (6-1) takes on former UFC star Nate Diaz (0-0) in an eight-round boxing match Aug. 5 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The fight will be at 185 pounds and promoted under the DAZN banner with a live pay-per-view broadcast.

Cormier initially said Paul’s size could pose problems for Diaz. While he’s not ready to predict a Diaz win, the former UFC dual champ wasn’t too impressed with Paul’s most recent loss to Tommy Fury.

“When watching Jake fight against Tommy Fury, he’s not as good as we originally thought,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “Because Tommy Fury pretty much limited him to just throwing overhand rights. He didn’t have an answer for Tommy Fury, a guy that’s been boxing for as long as Fury’s been boxing. He just kept trying to hit him with the overhand right.”

Cormier was impressed with Paul’s continued growth as he defeated former MMA champions Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (twice) and Anderson Silva. Facing an actual boxer in Fury seems to have changed his perception.

“I respected what he was doing because he beat Anderson (Silva) in a boxing match, and what he had did to Tyron and those guys. So, I did think that he was really improving. But I think in watching the Tommy Fury match, it showed me how limited he still is in terms of his boxing development because when that weapon (right hand) was rendered useless. He just kept going to it, and it became more and more evident that it wasn’t going to land. But he didn’t have a plan B.”

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Although Diaz has never boxed professionally, Cormier thinks he’s undergone an adequate amount of training to prep for Paul.

“I think that is where I give Nate Diaz the chance,” Cormier said. “Because Diaz has been boxing for a long time. Diaz has done rounds with Andre Ward. Diaz has been around the sport of boxing and fighting for a really long time.”

For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Diaz.

Video: Now that Nate Diaz officially is fighting Jake Paul, what do we think?

Considering how long it’s been talked about, it’s wild to think that Nate Diaz and Jake Paul will actually fight in a boxing ring.

It’s actually happening. Can you believe it?

[autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] is official for Aug. 5 in Dallas, where the pair will meet in an eight-round boxing match contested at 185 pounds. This matchup has been talked about for so long, even well before Diaz left the UFC late last year.

Now that it’s finally here, what do we think of the booking? Was it the right move at the right time? Who has more to lose?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, “Gorgeous” George Garcia and Dan Tom answered those questions with host Mike Bohn. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Diaz.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Anderson Silva unsure who to pick in Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, interested in fighting winner

Anderson Silva is interested in taking on the winner of Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz.

[autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] is keeping a close eye on the upcoming boxing showdown between [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag].

The former UFC middleweight champion and MMA legend very much enjoyed the recent booking between Paul and Diaz. Not only does Silva think it’s a fun pairing, but he also sees the bout as competitive, enough to have him on the fence with his pick.

“I’m so excited. That’s a good show for us, a very good show for us,” Silva recently told Fight Hub TV. “I don’t know (who’s going to win). It’s very tough. Everybody thinks Jake is not training boxing, but Jake is training a lot. The people need to respect everything Jake is doing, because he’s very professional, and he’s very focused on his job. I respect him a lot, you know.”

He added, “That’s very hard to say who wins. Both are good fighters. Nate has more experience, he has good boxing and good cardio. I respect both. I’m waiting for the best show for us.”

Silva, whose last fight was a boxing match against Paul, said he could be interested in taking on the winner, whether it’s a rematch with Paul or a clash with the younger brother of former foe Nick Diaz.

“Maybe who wins the fight, I fight, too,” Silva said. “Maybe. I don’t know. Let’s go see.”

For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Diaz.