The Stockton, Calif. native spent 15 years fighting under the UFC banner with wins over Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, to name a very select few.
Diaz was involved in two of the biggest pay-per-view events in the company’s history, facing McGregor twice and garnering 1.317 million and 1.6 million buys, respectively.
After his most recent MMA fight against Ferguson in September 2022, Diaz announced his intentions to leave the UFC and get into the boxing business.
Diaz will now get a chance to test himself in the boxing ring against Paul, who already has multiple wins over former UFC stars, including Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren.
“Besides Canelo [Alvarez], he’s the biggest thang in boxing,” Diaz said in a press release. “I’m here to conquer that. I’m the king of combat sports and then I’m headed back to get my UFC belts. I f—ed up Conor [McGregor] for acting out and now here I am again, like a Super Hero of Real Fight game, the King of the Real Fight game.”
Paul, who suffered his first pro loss against Tommy Fury in February, will have to defeat Diaz to avoid back-to-back defeats. A win over a star like Diaz would undoubtedly raise Paul’s stock in the fight game.
“My last fight didn’t end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations,” Paul said. “Now, the world thinks I am vulnerable, when all I am is more focused than ever. My team wanted me to take an easy fight like KSI next, but that’s not how I am built. Nate Diaz is considered one of the most badass fighters of all time, but he and his team have been running their mouths for too long.”
Diaz (21-13, MMA) and Paul (6-1, boxing) have exchanged words on multiple occasions, including a backstage scuffle between their respective teams last October.
The 185-pound fight will take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
