The social media influencer is also signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) with his MMA debut set for next year
Jake Paul (left)outscored Nate Diaz in a ten-round pro boxing match at the American Airlines Center. - USA TODAY Sports
YouTuber turned pro boxer Jake Paul red, who rediscovered his winning ways with a unanimous points victory over former MMA legend Nate Diaz, could be primed for a rematch with Tommy Fury who beat him last February in Saudi Arabia
The 26-year-old social media personality has turned himself into a prizefighter where he has won all but one of his eight fights, the only loss coming against celebrity boxing rival Fury, the younger brother of world heavyweight boxing champion, Tyson Fury.
Paul, 26, turned down a a rematch to instead face Diaz, 38. He.clearly held the advantage for much of the 10-round event.
However, Diaz, a mixed-martial arts fighter who left the UFC in 2022, was on the verge of a knockout at several moments.
“It’s what I expected. That’s what he’s known for,” Paul said of Diaz. “I don’t know how he survived that first round but he’s a dog and I walked the dog.”
Jake Paul defeated Nate Diaz with the mthree judges scoring the fight 97-92, 98-91, and 98-91.-USA TODAY Sports
Paul showed he was better conditioned throughout in his first fight after a split-decision loss against Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia in February. The three judges scored this one in Pau’s favor, 97-92, 98-91, and 98-91.
Paul wasted no time to call out the younger Fury, in the ring afterwards with his mind set on revenge.
However,Fury must first fight Paul's arch YouTube rival KSI on October 14 in Manchester, a fight that the American plans to attend.
Paul also is signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) with his MMA debut set for next year.
He is also ready to offer Diaz $10million to fight him in the PFL cage.
"I want to run it back in MMA. Yeah, $10million PFL that's the offer let's run it back in MMA," he said in The Sun.
The 38-year-old Diaz, making his pro boxing debut, struck several blows near the end of the third round, briefly leaving Paul wobbly before the bell. Diaz continued his offensive in the fourth round, landing several jabs to the roars of the decidedly pro-Diaz crowd.
“He did a great job, he’s an athletic, strong dude,” said Diaz, who lamented not training harder for the event.
In the fifth round, Diaz appeared fatigued and Paul jumped on the opportunity. He sent Diaz briefly to the floor with a clean left hook before leveling successive blows to Diaz’s head later in the round.
“I didn’t want to burn out and then let him catch a wind and come back with something,” Paul said of the knockdown. “So I was being patient, being smart, and was looking for the kill, but he withstood a bunch of big punches.”
Jake Paul attacks the body of Nate Diazduring their boxing match at American Airlines Center. - USA TODAY Sports
Neither fighter scored big in the sixth round, though Diaz was battling puffiness in both eyes.
Diaz scored with a combination of punches in the seventh, and both fighters exchanged blows during a particularly eventful eighth round.
Diaz did plenty of showboating in the ring, taunting Paul in the ring at times and turning his back on him. He also mocked one of Paul’s punches in the ninth round.
However, Diaz looked like he was moments from being knocked out on several occasions. Even as he preened toward the crowd and away from Paul, Diaz appeared less and less steady on his feet throughout the later rounds.
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“It was fun. I knew he was trying to take breaks so I would pounce on him when he was doing that,” Paul said. “We were talking to each other the whole fight.”
Even in the 10th and final round, Diaz at times turned away from Paul and put both hands on the top rope, and shook his head derisively at Paul.
The win was Paul’s third against a former UFC champion. He beat Tyron Woodley with a one-punch knockout in December 2021 and Anderson Silva in a unanimous decision last September.