CLEVELAND, OHIO: Former UFC champion Nate Diaz has challenged Jake Paul for a New Year’s Eve rematch after declining the $10 million MMA fight proposed by Jake Paul.
During their boxing match in August 2023, Paul came out victorious with a unanimous decision against Diaz. Prior to the bout, Paul suggested that they square off in an MMA contest after their boxing match, but Diaz brushed the idea aside at the time.
Nate Diaz wants New Year’s Eve rematch
On October 9, Diaz responded to a recent 'Full Send Podcast' interview when Paul said that Diaz was "ducking him" because he had too much to lose in an MMA match.
Before making his own request that they do a rematch in boxing on New Year's Eve and then have their third fight under MMA rules, Diaz posted on social media, "You're full of s***, I didn't ask for s***."
“I’ll fight you tomorrow in MMA; the problem is you suck, and I don’t work for [the PFL] dumbass, you do. Rematch is in boxing, trilogy is in MMA, you need time to train anyway, you suck,” Diaz wrote.
With his win over Diaz, Paul rose to 7-1 and overcame a defeat by a split decision to rival Tommy Fury. The MMA iconoclast-turned-influencer has defeated Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and Anderson Silva in boxing matches.
Even though Diaz faced a loss in his boxing debut, he would likely be the favored contender in an MMA bout against Paul. In his 15-year UFC career, the 38-year-old amassed a 16-11 record and even competed for a lightweight championship.
Nate Diaz declines $10 million MMA fight
Jake Paul continued his winning streak, triumphing over established UFC competitors like Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz following his victory over Ali Eson Gib in 2020. He is frequently questioned about UFC and MMA fighters in his interviews.
Jake Paul recently spoke about a prospective MMA fight with Nate Diaz on the 'Full Send' podcast. According to "The Problem Child," he made Stockton's second child a very attractive offer.
However, it was never held because of the MMA star's extreme expectations.
“So I tried to fight Nate. We tried everything. [Why the negotiations broke down] And he was just making such big requests behind the scenes… Okay, $10 million, but if he loses to me, it’s like he’s gonna get made fun of, right? And he felt the power. But I don’t think he can take me down. So he couldn’t submit me. It’s kind of a lose-lose situation for him,” Paul said.