Nate Diaz and Jake Paul had their first press conference ahead of their bout on August 5. Without the fans in attendance, the affair was not as noisy as the other memorable Diaz press conferences. Despite his legal troubles, the fight seems to be well on track.
The fight announcement came out of the blue a few months ago and surprised many fans. Now Diaz’s latest revelation might ruffle some more feathers. The Stockton gangster revealed in an interview that he had turned down several high-profile boxers and other lucrative deals to compete against Jake Paul.
Nate Diaz has always sought out the best fighters to compete against. So it might be surprising to learn that he chose Jake Paul over the like of boxing icons, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, for his next bout. However, the former UFC star had his own reasons for making this choice.
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Nate Diaz reveals why he chose Jake Paul for his next bout
After the face-off that followed the press conference, Nate Diaz sat down with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn for a quick chat. Bohn asked the 38-year-old about how Paul became the choice for his next bout. The ex-UFC welterweight said, “We had Floyd on the call, some of Pacquiao’s guys were calling us and some MMA shows were calling us for big deals and big stuff, but I thought this was the right choice.”
Diaz continued, “Him and his brother are doing the biggest things and making an impact on both sports and the YouTube community and they’re not f***ing around. Look at them. They’re mean, they want to fight people, and they’re about it.”
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A bout against Floyd Mayweather would have had its own weight. It would also have been a financially viable venture for the free agent Diaz. However, a fight of such magnitude is easier said than done.
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As for Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing legend is embroiled in a lawsuit with Diaz’s rival Conor McGregor. McGregor’s management firm Paradigm Sports sued the 44-year-old for a breach of contract. This may have kept the former senator from pursuing fights of his own.
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What do you make of Diaz’s revelation about choosing Jake Paul? Would you have preferred if he fought Mayweather or Pacquiao instead?
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