Jake Paul says he’ll be ‘walking dogs’ Nate Diaz Saturday night as bitter rivals weigh in ahead of Dallas blockbuster
Jake Paul’s pre-fight weigh-in with Nate Diaz was a pleasant routine in Dallas on Friday after their respective sides feuded during Thursday’s press conference.
Paul (6-1), after his first career loss to Tommy Fury, came in at 185 pounds, while Diaz weighed about the same, 184.9, which is significantly higher than his usual in mixed-martial arts.
The two hated rivals came face to face without incident in front of a few thousand fans, most of whom appeared to support Diaz.
“Shoutout to everyone for the love and support,” Diaz said to loud applause. “And no matter how the fight goes, remember, this son of a bitch can’t really fight.”
Paul, still seeking legitimacy in his brief boxing career, responded in kind: “Tomorrow I’m going to walk that son of a bitch!” I’ll put him on a leash and I’ll send him back to the cage!’
Jake Paul (left) and Nate Diaz exchanged trash-talk Friday as they weighed in in Dallas
Paul said he would ‘walk dogs’ opponent Diaz and called the UFC star a ‘b****’
Diaz also spoke badly of Paul, saying the 26-year-old “can’t fight” ahead of their Dallas fight
The weigh-in was pleasantly routine, but there were still some jokes between the pair
He also treated the hostile, jeering crowd to some of his famous childishness.
“Boo if you’re a virgin,” he yelled at Diaz’s supporters. ‘What? You are virgins?’
The sophomore show was the final chapter in a difficult promotional tour.
The palpable tensions between the two sides boiled over during Thursday’s press conference, with both fighters’ bodyguards trading blows in a brawl on stage. Diaz’s camp later blamed Paul’s security for the incident, with Paul insisting it was one of Diaz’s guards who struck the first blow.
“Nate’s team emailed my team trying to claim assault charges after his team waved first,” the former YouTuber tweeted. “Apparently the man who waved first is in the hospital to be stitched up. Hilarious that those fake gangsters behave like this!’
Diaz and Paul weren’t involved in the skirmish, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy with each other.
In typical pre-fight fashion, Paul insulted Diaz for being a “bully,” adding that the former UFC star is “always high.”
“Like, what kind of example is that to introduce to everyone, just smoke all the time?” Paul asked Thursday. “I don’t like these things about him. And someone has to bully the bully, and I’m going to do that on Saturday.’
Paul, a former YouTube star, is 6-1 as a boxer after losing to Tommy Fury in February
Diaz is known for his MMA abilities and has suggested that he will return to UFC soon
But there’s another reason for Paul’s displeasure: Diaz’s lackluster promotional efforts.
The 38-year-old boxer who is boxing for the first time has been overdue for media availability, and speaking to the media, Diaz didn’t seem particularly thrilled.
“I don’t have to beg people to watch,” Diaz told ESPN. ‘Do not look.’
Paul, meanwhile, had grown tired of being the only boxer to show enthusiasm for Saturday’s fight.
“He’s not a professional like me,” Paul told ESPN. “That’s why he needs me to fight.”
But Diaz clearly has another income stream in MMA and has said he will “probably” return to UFC in the near future.
Paul has offered to fight Diaz in the cage, but it sounds like Diaz isn’t interested. Speaking to MMA Hour, Diaz said he “doesn’t fight for” the PFL, Paul’s MMA outfit.
“When we do something, we’re going to do something real,” Diaz said. “Copromotion, if anything.”
Co-promotion would be another twist in the rivalry between Paul and Diaz, but don’t expect an MMA partnership or a rematch in boxing any time soon.
Paul appears to be raising a middle finger at Friday’s weigh-in in Dallas, Texas
Diaz fell behind Paul in his promotion of the fight, showing up late to the media
Both Paul and Diaz have spoken publicly about their desire to fight Conor McGregor next
McGregor and Diaz shared a few fights in 2016, with the Irishman teasing a third
Rather, both fighters look set to capitalize on Saturday’s matchup for a lucrative bout with Conor McGregor in 2024, when the UFC legend will likely make his much-anticipated return to the cage.
Both he and Diaz have expressed interest in a third fight after splitting their first two in 2016. In a deleted tweet, McGregor said “regardless of that crap match” on Saturday in Dallas, “Me and Nate will complete the trilogy.”
But Paul has his own plans for McGregor, and they don’t need an octagon. Instead, Paul hopes to meet McGregor in the ring, where the Irishman is 0-1.
That one mediocre loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017, McGregor netted $130 million, of course, so Paul is understandably motivated to book him into a boxing match.
“After that I want Conor,” Paul told reporters at a press conference in May. “It’s inevitable.”
But for Paul or Diaz to book a cash cow like McGregor, they have to put on a show at the American Airlines Center on Saturday.
And the best way to do that is to go beyond childish theatre.