A month in the past, Nate Diaz made extra press by strolling away from a press convention making an attempt to construct up his combat with MMA rival Jorge Masvidal than he did by making an attempt to promote the press on it.
This Saturday on the Honda Middle in Anaheim, California, Diaz and Masvidal, two past-their-prime MMA stars, will combat in a 10-round mild heavyweight combat. There can be actual boxers on the cardboard, with former WBA middleweight titlist Danny Jacobs fights Shane Mosley Jr. in a brilliant middleweight bout, because the co-feature on Fanmio/DAZN/UFC Combat Cross PPV (9 p.m. ET).
Diaz has had really one professional boxing match, which he misplaced to Jake Paul by unanimous resolution through which he was dropped twice in August 2023. The final time Diaz received a combat goes again to September 10, 2022, when he choked out Tony Ferguson in an MMA combat on UFC 279. In any other case, he’s 1-2 over his final three MMA fights, which features a stoppage ordered by the ringside physician on cuts to Masvidal.
What actually stirred the curiosity of this combat was when a brawl broke out between Diaz’s followers and a few individuals in Masvidal’s camp on June 7 in a press convention main as much as the combat.
The occasion known as “Final Man Standing,” it could be simply that for both Masvidal or Diaz, who’re each 39.
“I used to combat on the parks and issues once I was a child, third and sixth grade, I headlines that one,” Diaz stated, laughing. “Boxing is specializing in the one sport, and you aren’t doing all of the belongings you do in MMA. MMA is much more tiring, as a result of it’s a must to wrestle individuals, but it surely is determined by what sort of fighter that you’re coping with.
“Boxing does require loads of arduous work, and loads of hardship, too. The dangerous blood between me and (Masvidal). After I created him, he turned a disrespectful little bitch. I created him. I put that mom—r on. This all actual. We don’t like one another. I’ve been holding my feelings collectively my entire profession. I can’t unfastened management (of his feelings). It doesn’t make a distinction concerning the feelings. He can have a troublesome time with me. He can have a troublesome time with the entire package deal.”
Diaz stated his endurance is nice and he’ll have the ability to make 175 simply. He’s working between 4 and 6 rounds for the combat.
“I’m extra a ‘G’ lately than once I was youthful,” Diaz stated. “Individuals are going to see a combat.”
Masvidal was way more demonstrative in what he may do towards Diaz. He discovered boxing watching with household on pay-per-view exhibits, and some years later, he discovered MMA. He needed to be the most effective on the planet. He struck up a 35-17 document within the MMA world. His final victory was 5 years in the past—towards Diaz on Nov. 2, 2019, at UFC 244.
“This won’t Hagler-Hearns, as a result of Nate isn’t both Hagler or Hearns,” Masvidal stated. “This can be a beating. I grew up in Miami with Cuban nationals, studying from them. Now we have been grinding for some time, since April since this combat has been prolonged. It gave me extra time to hone my craft. Nate is a jiu-jitsu man who die his hair and combat in backyards. I used to be preventing guys like Bimbo Slice. This can be an ass kicking, just like the U.S. invading Barbados.”
Joseph Santoliquito is a Corridor of Fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Observe @JSantoliquito
