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A boxing promoter claims the UFC denied popular superstars Nick and Nate Diaz the opportunity to participate in boxing matches on the same card that saw former UFC megastar Anderson Silva defeat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday night.
Silva, 46, beat Chavez, 35, by split decision in a legitimate prizefight at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico. But according to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, Silva was close to being joined on the pay-per-view card by the Diaz brothers.
Martin reported that the promoters of the event said the UFC denied their request to get the Diaz brothers boxing matches on the card even after one of the brothers agreed to it.
Martin posted, “The promoters behind the #TributetotheKings card said they tried to get Nick and Nate Diaz on the event — Nate wanted to do it but UFC said no. They are hoping to do more MMA vs. boxing crossover fights.”
According to a press release sent in support of Saturday night’s boxing card in Mexico, “Tribute to the Kings” was promoted by Borizteca Boxing and Toscano Promotions, in association with Schoen Entertainment.
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Review of ‘Tribute to the Kings’ PPV Card
The “Tribute to the Kings” event was produced by Global Sports Streaming, and reactions to the card that featured Silva’s massive upset over Chavez Jr. were overwhelmingly positive.
The main event of the fight card featured Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. wearing headgear for an exhibition bout against Hector Camacho Jr.
The 58-year-old Mexican boxing legend tried to remove his headgear during the fight, but he eventually was corralled into putting it back on again by his 42-year-old opponent and the referee.
That fight went the distance, and Chavez Sr. was announced the winner.
“Tribute to the Kings” seemed sort of similar to the first Triller Fight Club event that happened last year featuring Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.
That boxing pay-per-view card was also heavily praised after it happened for its nod to nostalgia and fun-loving environment. However, the subsequent iteration of Triller’s Fight Club featuring Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren was decidedly less celebrated.
Still, the Diaz brothers being on the “Tribute to the Kings” card over the weekend would have been a huge boon for the event. While Silva is one of the biggest superstars in UFC history, the Diaz brothers, particularly Nate Diaz, are still among the most popular fighters in MMA today.
But that didn’t happen, and the promoters of “Tribute to the Kings” say it’s because the UFC denied it.
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Why UFC Would Deny Diaz Brothers
The boxing promoter claims the UFC denied the Diaz brothers the chance to fight on their pay-per-view boxing card, and the UFC has not yet confirmed or denied the statement.
Still, it’s easy to see why the UFC would deny superstars under contract with the company their approval to participate in such events.
There’s no benefit to the UFC for allowing contractually obligated UFC fighters opportunities to participate in any kinds of professional fights under different promotional banners.
The reason Silva could fight Chavez Jr. on the card was due to the fact that “Spider” had been released from his UFC contract.
The Diaz brothers are still UFC fighters, so it makes sense for the promotional company to do what’s best for the company.
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