Dana White praises Nate Diaz for performance against Jake Paul: “I’m happy for him”
Esther Lin/Most Valuable PromotionsUFC president Dana White has praised Nate Diaz’s recent boxing performance against Jake Paul, noting that, despite the age and weight class disparities, Diaz put up a formidable fight.
“For a kid pushing 40 years old, fighting a guy four weight classes bigger than him in boxing and two in MMA, and going the distance at his age against a 20-something-year-old kid, so far he’s fared the best out of everybody. He looked good. I’m happy for him,” White told media members following an episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.
The bout at the American Airlines Center saw the YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul furthering his undefeated streak against MMA fighters. Yet, Dana White’s praise was solely focused on Diaz, who, against the odds, made the contest highly competitive.
Paul, a rising figure in boxing, displayed improvements in his boxing on his way to a unanimous decision victory against the former UFC contender. However, Diaz showcased why he’s considered a true warrior in the combat world, bouncing back from adversities, including a fifth-round knockdown, and even cheekily attempting a guillotine choke in the last round.
However, not everyone shared White’s positive sentiment. Former UFC champion Conor McGregor slammed both Diaz’s effort and Jake Paul’s performance in a series of now-deleted tweets.
In a particularly harsh critique, McGregor posted, “That was abysmal last night. Paul is a re**rd. Absolute garbage he is. Moving backwards like I was watching a fight in rewind. Holy garbage. Embarrassing stuff all around.”
Even in light of such criticism, the talk of the town is the potential MMA rematch between Diaz and Paul.
Following their recent boxing face-off, Paul voiced his desire to take on Diaz under MMA rules, while Diaz seemed open to the idea, hinting at co-promotion with his outfit, Real Fight Inc.
Betting odds for the MMA showdown have already been released, placing Diaz as the clear favorite at -1200 against Paul, the underdog, at +650.
However, it remains to be seen if this rematch will happen.
