When Nate Diaz made his exit from the UFC last fall, many expected he’d make the jump to boxing to land a lucrative payday against Jake Paul, or one of the other celebrities currently cashing in off the sweet science.
That expectation has proved accurate. On Wednesday, Paul himself announced that he will fight Diaz at a Pay-Per-View event on August 5, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. The event will go down at the American Airlines Center, airing via DAZN PPV globally.
“August 5th we commemorate the funeral for Nathaniel Diaz as we send him in casket back to Dana,” Paul wrote while announcing the fight. “Refreshments will be provided at the service. Black Tie Attire.”
August 5th we commemorate the funeral for Nathaniel Diaz as we send him in casket back to Dana.
Refreshments will be provided at the service. Black Tie Attire.
Watch #PaulDiaz live on @DAZNBoxing PPV globally.
Follow @MostVpromotions for the latest updates. pic.twitter.com/1DRfFzoayp
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 12, 2023
Paul (6-1 boxing) recently suffered his first setback as a professional boxer, losing a split decision against Tommy Fury in a match-up that took years to finally come together. In comparison, the Diaz bout appears to have been relatively smooth sailing — given that as of September, the Stockton native had been fighting for the UFC, picking up a win over Tony Ferguson.
Talk of Paul facing Fury in a rematch, meanwhile, appears to be on hold for the foreseeable future. In addition to boxing, Jake Paul has signed on with the PFL, and is expected to make his MMA debut in late 2023 or early 2024.
Diaz (21-13 MMA) will be making his professional boxing debut in the fight. Known for his volume striking more than power, Diaz spent nearly 15 years in the UFC and fought for the promotion’s lightweight title in 2012, against Benson Henderson.
In the latter part of his career, he made the move to welterweight, in entertaining affairs with Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Jorge Masvidal (for the “BMF” title), Leon Edwards, and Ferguson. That said, Diaz has not competed higher than 170lbs and will no doubt be the much smaller man against Jake Paul.
