It’s a stretch to say that Jake Paul was a changed man after his convincing, unanimous decision victory over Nate Diaz in Saturday’s catchweight boxing match in Dallas. He was still an arrogant salesman after punishing the UFC legend for 10 frames, including a fifth-round knockdown.
But as he went into Saturday’s fight with a view to a future boxing match and a huge payday against Conor McGregor – he once called it “inevitable” – he didn’t even want to hear the Irishman’s name after his win.
“I don’t care about that guy. He needs to go to rehab,” Paul said, making a cryptic dig at the troubled McGregor, who has denied rape allegations as he aims to return from injury in 2024.
“I want Nate in MMA,” Paul (7-1) continued, repeating his offer to take on Diaz in what would be his first MMA fight. “I want more professional boxers and I want (Saul) Canelo (Alvarez).”
On the surface, the statement sounds farcical (does he really think he can beat Canelo?). But for a former YouTuber and Disney star fighting for legitimacy as a boxer, it’s a sign of progress: Maybe he doesn’t have to fight McGregor after all.
Jake Paul has plenty to be happy about after his victory against Nate Diaz on Saturday night
Paul delivered 10 rounds of action and defeated the UFC legend in the fifth in his win
Paul rejected any suggestion to face Conor McGregor in the aftermath of his fight
“Nate was definitely the strongest person I’ve fought so far,” Paul told reporters in the early hours of Sunday morning. “I’m getting more and more comfortable in the ring. Learning to box, learning to slow down… that experience is priceless.’
On paper, the match between Paul and Diaz was not an obvious choice for boxing fans. Who among us really cared if a former MMA star in his 30s could top a YouTuber with seven career bouts, only one of which was against a career boxer?
So to spice up Saturday’s fight, Paul added his usual dash of sophomore chest banging: He threw out Diaz fans, whom he dismissed as “virgins” at Friday’s weigh-in—and again after the fight—and portrayed his opponent as an unprofessional destoner.
“Like, what kind of example is that to introduce to everyone, just smoke all the time?” Paul asked Diaz earlier this week.
Throw in the brawl between their respective camps at Thursday’s press conference, and presto changoPaul-Diaz had the sort of schoolyard vibe we’ve come to expect from crossover fighting and “influencer” boxing — a loaded term that has haunted The Problem Child.
The exact definition is hard to pin down, but for hardcore fight fans it’s a warning: boxing without boxers.
The controversial subgenre spans a broad spectrum. Anyone from budding pros, like Paul, to naked OnlyFans models can be considered an influencer boxer.
Paul admits his first few fights fell under the “influencer” label, but he made it a point to distance himself from the term on Tuesday.
Paul is still the cocky salesman he should be, but he’s also improving as a fighter
Paul said his confrontation with Diaz was the hardest fight of his career to date
“I’m not in the YouTube boxing business,” Paul told reporters. “That whole crazy tag-team thing, influencers versus influencers — that was my first fight three and a half years ago. I am not in that world. My cards are filled with world champions, the best of the best and the highest levels of competition. And that’s what I think others should do.’
If anything, Paul’s solitary defeat — February’s split-decision loss to cruiserweight Tommy Fury — proved he can handle a well-trained boxer. Tyson’s 24-year-old half-brother has spent half his life in the ring, while 26-year-old Paul has spent the past five years donning the gloves.
Going the distance, scoring a knockdown and winning on one of the three judges cards against Fury was a step in the right direction. Winning a 10-round decision against Diaz is even better.
“The loss, seriously, was the best thing,” Paul said early Sunday morning. “It sent me on the path I needed to follow. You can’t cut corners in this sport. I was in the gym the day after the loss, flew back from the Middle East, I was in the gym every day until this fight because I knew I was going to come back and get stronger.”
But for all his legit progress as a fighter, charging $59.99 for the Paul-Diaz PPV was still a big ask.
Just a week earlier, boxing fans donated $84.99 for Terence Crawford’s eye-watering welterweight title victory over another undefeated champion, Errol Spence Jr. Calling both Crawford and Paul “pay-per-view boxers” is like saying the Denver Nuggets and Washington Generals are all professional basketball players.
Of course, experience and skill are not everything in boxing. McGregor had never boxed professionally before joining Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. stepped into the ring, and he still made a whopping $130 million for his doomed effort against an invincible foe.
That crossover matchup still ranks second in PPV history with $390 million in TV revenue and paved the way for MMA stars like Diaz to earn their own seven-figure payday in the ring (Saturday’s breaks). have not yet been revealed).
But unlike Paul-Diaz, Mayweather-McGregor benefited from the former’s reputation as a boxer and curiosity to see UFC’s biggest star in the ring.
But despite Paul’s limited boxing resume, Saturday was an unqualified success.
Paul showed signs of his legitimate progress as a fighter in his win against Diaz
Diaz received a lot of punishment, but Paul wants to hire him again in the future
The matchup generated $3.1 million at the gate, which is the second highest for any combat sports event in American Airlines Center history. And judging by that crowd, which stood most of the night, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions should expect solid PPV sales, surpassing the reported 200,000 buys he made before his fight with Fury.
For Paul – both the promoter and the boxer – that is a real achievement.
It’s hard to imagine him ever generating Mayweather-McGregor’s win, but on Saturday in Dallas, his product was much more watchable than the eminently disappointing 2017 crossover match, which was hampered by persistent clinching.
Paul-Diaz was having none of that. Instead, it gave fans exactly what they paid for. And if that’s Paul’s ultimate legacy as a fighter, then that’s something he can be proud of.