Set for an explosive battle this weekend at the American Airlines Center, Jake Paul squares off against Nate Diaz in the latter’s professional boxing debut. This matchup will be a ten-round fight and features two of the most interesting fighters in all of combat sports, for very different reasons. Paul, for example, is a social media star turned boxing pro and is coming off his first professional loss, taking the fall to Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Meanwhile, Diaz is one of the most decorated UFC stars of the last decade and spent over 15 years in the organization after winning The Ultimate Fighter 5. Nonetheless, this will be his first pro boxing experience and his opponent has already accrued multiple wins over former MMA competitors.
In this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each of these competitors along with a predicted winner, and even more notes about boxing betting.
With a professional MMA career record of 21-13, along with five knockouts, Diaz has scored victories over some of the biggest stars in the UFC. This includes his recent submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 along with a Fight of the Night submission victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 196. Stockton, Calif. Native has also knocked off the likes of Michael Johnson, Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone. Indeed with all of these spectacular fights, Diaz over the course of his career has accrued the third most UFC bonus awards, with 16 in total.
While Diaz of course has a resume that few can match, his professional boxing experience is limited. With five knockout wins in his career, Diaz primarily has won his bouts via submission (12 total) along with some decision victories (four). That said, he is one of the toughest fighters in all of combat sports, only getting knocked out or TKO’ed twice in his MMA career. He will present a formidable matchup for Paul.
As noted above, Paul has found success against former MMA all-stars in boxing matches over the course of his pro career. This includes wins over the likes of Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (twice), and also Anderson Silva. What’s more, all of these fighters have held some kind of MMA championship at one point in their careers. This is especially true for Silva and Woodley who have been UFC world champions at some point, with the former being considered one of the best fighters of all-time.
While he did come up short in his fight against Fury, Paul still was able to get the bout to split decision outcome against the most experienced boxing opponent he has faced to date. In this bout, Paul lost via split decision, despite knocking Fury down in the eighth round. One judge scored this fight 75-74 to Paul, while the other two judges had it 76-73 to Fury. Nonetheless, this could be a big comeback fight for the fighting star.
Prediction: Another exciting matchup, take Paul to win here given his more extensive boxing resume and prior success against UFC stars.
After you are all dialed in regarding the latest boxing news and getting your ducks in a row for this fight, make sure to also check out all the other great resources available to you at SBS. For even more thoughts and info on the topic at hand, make sure to tap into the boxing betting sites guide which goes over the latest boxing betting markets. On another note, for those looking for some higher-stakes wagering, the VIP sports betting sites rundown is a must-read. Here you can learn more about the perks of VIP betting and if it is the right fit for you. Finally, if you are looking for ways to maximize your wagers, the best bonus betting sites breakdown covers tips for getting the most out of promotions.
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A keen cyclist and sports fan. Spending his time watching sport and riding the roads on his bike, Mark has been a real asset to the team since coming onboard.
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