Nate Diaz says he is ready for war against Jorge Masvidal
A month ago, Nate Diaz made more press by walking away from a press conference trying to build up his fight with MMA rival Jorge Masvidal than he did by trying to sell the press on it.
This Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Diaz and Masvidal, two past-their-prime MMA stars, will fight in a 10-round light heavyweight fight. There will be real boxers on the card, with former WBA middleweight titlist Danny Jacobs fights Shane Mosley Jr. in a super middleweight bout, as the co-feature on Fanmio/DAZN/UFC Fight Pass PPV (9 p.m. ET).
Diaz has had actually one pro boxing match, which he lost to Jake Paul by unanimous decision in which he was dropped twice in August 2023. The last time Diaz won a fight goes back to September 10, 2022, when he choked out Tony Ferguson in an MMA fight on UFC 279. Otherwise, he is 1-2 over his last three MMA fights, which includes a stoppage ordered by the ringside doctor on cuts to Masvidal.
What really stirred the curiosity of this fight was when a brawl broke out between Diaz’s followers and some people in Masvidal’s camp on June 7 in a press conference leading up to the fight.
The event is called “Last Man Standing,” it may be just that for either Masvidal or Diaz, who are both 39.
“I used to fight at the parks and things when I was a kid, third and sixth grade, I headlines that one,” Diaz said, laughing. “Boxing is focusing on the one sport, and you are not doing all the things you do in MMA. MMA is a lot more tiring, because you have to wrestle people, but it depends on what kind of fighter that you are dealing with.
“Boxing does require a lot of hard work, and a lot of hardship, too. The bad blood between me and (Masvidal). When I created him, he became a disrespectful little bitch. I created him. I put that mother—r on. This all real. We do not like each other. I have been keeping my emotions together my whole career. I will not loose control (of his emotions). It does not make a difference about the emotions. He will have a tough time with me. He will have a tough time with the whole package.”
Diaz said his endurance is good and he will be able to make 175 easily. He is working between four and six rounds for the fight.
“I am more a ‘G’ these days than when I was younger,” Diaz said. “People are going to see a fight.”
Masvidal was far more demonstrative in what he could do against Diaz. He found boxing watching with family on pay-per-view shows, and a few years later, he found MMA. He wanted to be the best in the world. He struck up a 35-17 record in the MMA world. His last victory was five years ago—against Diaz on Nov. 2, 2019, at UFC 244.
“This will not Hagler-Hearns, because Nate is not either Hagler or Hearns,” Masvidal said. “This will be a beating. I grew up in Miami with Cuban nationals, learning from them. We have been grinding for a while, since April since this fight has been extended. It gave me more time to hone my craft. Nate is a jiu-jitsu guy who die his hair and fight in backyards. I was fighting guys like Bimbo Slice. This will be an ass kicking, like the U.S. invading Barbados.”
Joseph Santoliquito is a Hall of Fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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