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UFC president Dana White hasn’t said much about the upcoming boxing match featuring his former fighter, Nate Diaz, and someone he has a history of bad blood with, Jake Paul. But, he took a jab at “The Problem Child” earlier this week.
The promotion’s president was featured on “The Jim Rome Show” ahead of Saturday’s UFC 288 event. And when he was asked about the DAZN match on August 5, White pointed out Paul’s last loss — he dropped a decision to undefeated boxer Tommy Fury in February — and the fact that he decided to pair up with another aging mixed martial artist following the defeat.
“I don’t know, man,” White said. “I’ve been trying not to… you know, I like Nate. Nate and I have a good relationship. It’s just — you know, listen — Jake Paul went out and fought a real boxer who was his age, his weight. And he lost. So as soon as he loses, he goes back to a 40-year-old MMA fighter who’s smaller than him, not his weight. It’s just, listen, it’s just one of those fights I know that some people are into this. It’s just not what I’m into. It’s not my thing.”
Paul (6-1) holds boxing wins over former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, ex-UFC welterweight king Tyron Woodley and former ONE and Bellator 170-pound champion Ben Askren. All of The Problem Child’s victories came after the combatants had finished their time with the world’s leading MMA promotion and following their physical primes.
Diaz Is Facing a Felony Charge, Unclear if It Will Affect the Fight
Diaz turned himself in to New Orleans police last week after he was featured in a viral video choking a man unconscious, who was later identified as TikTok creator Rodney Petersen during a street brawl. He’s currently out on $10,000 bond and has stated he used the guillotine choke as self-dense.
However, he was hit with a second-degree battery charge, a felony in Louisiana that could land Diaz in jail for up to eight years, with or without hard labor, if convicted. The charge also carries up to a $2,000 fine.
Diaz’s Charge Prompted a Challenge from KSI
The incident occured after a Misfits Boxing event on April 21 in the city. And after Diaz was issued an arrest warrant, YouTuber KSI took to Twitter to toss his name out as a potential replacement for Diaz should he not make it to the fight — something Paul obliged.
“Well, if that mean Jake won’t have an opponent in August… Then I’ll gladly come as the replacement after I KO Joe Fournier in May,” KSI tweeted.
“Great,” Paul responded to KSI, his bitter rival. “I accept you as the backup opponent. Fight is at 185. There are no rehydration clauses. Stay in shape and we will give you a call if needed. Thanks buddy for being so humble and committed.”
Diaz then took notice of the two social media influencers’ words, tweeting: “Lol why Dont u to scared p***** just fight each other august. I’ll fight someone who can really fight.”
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