‘I’ll kill him’: Jake Paul set for epic test tonight against MMA great Nate Diaz in boxing match
Texas hosts a huge day of boxing action on Sunday (AEST) as YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul and MMA fan favourite Nate Diaz get in the ring at American Airlines Centre.
26-year-old Paul is 6-1 in the ring, his only loss coming in February to Tommy Fury – also his only opponent that was also a legitimate boxer.
But he now faces a 38-year-old widely regarded as one of the toughest stars in mixed martial arts, Nate Diaz.
Diaz (21-13 MMA) was a part of the UFC since 2007 and boasts a 16-11 record in the organisation that he departed this year. His last fight came last September when he beat fellow legend Tony Ferguson via submission, and while he’s a talented boxer he’s never actually stepped in the ring in the sport.
Paul is also hoping to try his hand at MMA after this bout, and has called out Diaz for a fight in the octagon – even offering a $10 million USD bet for an MMA bout.
But first, they’ll face off in the ring, with the Pay-Per-View starting from 10am AEST on Sunday.
Paul has promised to ‘kill’ Diaz on Sunday.
At the press conference on Friday, he declared: “It’s not being antagonising or s*** talking, it’s telling the f***ing truth, sir.
“I’m killing this man, I’m killing this man, I’m telling the truth, sir.”
He added: “This little guy that you love over here, he’s going to be dead on Saturday night. I’m going to finish his career.”
But there’s plenty of other action on the card, including an undisputed title fight and a battle of two former MMA stars.
CO-MAIN EVENT
Amanda Serrano defends her undisputed featherweight champion status against Heather Hardy – a rematch of their 2019 bout where Serrano beat Hardy and claimed the WBO title.
44-2-1 Serrano, who owns the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring belts, was on a 28-fight win streak until she lost a bid for the undisputed lightweight title in April 2022. But she rebounded with two wins since then, beating Erika Cruz in February to claim undisputed status at featherweight.
Since their fight four years ago, 24-2 Hardy turned to MMA and has only fought once in boxing – a loss to Jessica Camara in 2021.
“I am the undisputed featherweight champion today because Heather Hardy agreed to fight me in 2019 for her WBO title,” said Serrano. “That was the first step in my current run at featherweight. It’s only right that I give her the opportunity to earn it back.
“I’m excited to once again share the card with Jake and put on an exciting war. This will be the first time I get to fight in Texas, and I promise the fans that they will not be disappointed.”
EX-MMA STARS FACE OFF
Chris Avila (8-9 MMA, 3-1 boxing) faces Jeremy Stephens (29-21, 1 NC MMA, 0-0-1 boxing) in a featherweight battle between two popular MMA stars.
Avila made his boxing debut in 2014, losing on his first time out – and not fighting again until a win over Anthony Taylor in 2021. He’s won two more on the trot, most recently beating Paul Bamba in April.
Jeremy Stephens first joined the UFC in 2007 and racked up a 15-18 record with one no-contest. But after leaving the UFC in July 2021 he joined the PFL and went 1-2 – making him 1-7 overall in his last string of fights.
Stephens has history in the boxing ring against fellow MMA fighters, fighting to a majority decision draw against Jose Aldo in April this year.
FULL CARD
Main card (PPV from 10am AEST)
185lbs.: 10 Rounds: Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz
126lbs.: 10 Rounds: Amanda Serrano (44-2-1) vs. Heather Hardy (24-2) for undisputed featherweight title
168lbs.: 8 Rounds: Chris Avila (3-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (0-0-1)
135lbs.: 8 Rounds: Ashton Sylve Ashton Sylve (9-0) vs. William Silva (30-4)
168lbs.: 10 Rounds: Shadasia Green (12-0) vs. Olivia Curry (7-1)
Preliminary Card
147lbs.: 8 Rounds: Alan Sanchez (22-5-1) vs. Angel Beltran (17-1)
165lbs.: 8 Rounds: Kevin Newman II (14-3-1) vs. Quilisto Madera (14-3)
154lbs.: 4 Rounds: José Aguayo (0-1) vs. Noel Cavazos (2-1)
