YouTube influencer Jake Paul quickly became one of the biggest names in boxing.
Will Paul and UFC legend Nate Diaz step inside the ring? That was the question lingering for weeks and months. It was announced on Wednesday, April 12, that Paul and Diaz will fight Aug. 5, 2023, in Dallas, Texas.
Diaz himself confirmed the news in a post to Twitter.
Heading into the fight with Tommy Fury, Paul said that he was eyeing Diaz for his following fight. Details of a potential Paul-Diaz bout weren’t known at that time. With a loss to Fury (the first of Paul’s career), there was some chatter that Paul might have to hit pause on his plans to box Diaz. That turned out to be incorrect.
Rather than rematch Fury, Paul will fight Diaz, who recently became a free agent after leaving the UFC.
Diaz is an MMA fighter, but he’s known for having strong boxing technique. He will be undersized against Paul, but it could be an interesting fight. Paul will likely open as a sizable betting favorite due to his size and recent boxing experience. No odds were public in the hours immediately following the announcement.
The fight will be at 185 pounds. Diaz fought at 155 and 170 pounds in the UFC.
Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury
Paul’s most recent fight was against Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. Paul and Tommy Fury finally fought on Feb. 26, 2023 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Previously scheduled bouts between the two had fallen apart.
Fury, also known for appearing on the reality TV show “Love Island” in 2019, scored the split-decision victory. It was a close but convincing win for Fury.
Paul opened as an approximately -180 moneyline betting favorite. Fury opened as an approximately +150 underdog. On the day of the fight, Paul had shortened to an approximately -150 favorite, with Fury listed at approximately +115.
The fight was close to a pick’em, but boxing oddsmakers clearly favored Paul, despite the YouTuber having slightly less boxing experience. Odds varied based on sportsbook.
Paul closed as a boxing betting favorite in all of his previous fights.
When’s Jake Paul’s Upcoming Fight?
Following the Fury loss, Paul had options for his next fight. The speculation was that Paul and Fury would have a rematch, as the first fight was close.
Paul and Fury fought on Feb. 26, 2023 at approximately 5 p.m. ET, with the main card kicking off at 2 p.m. ET. The event aired in the U.S. on ESPN+ PPV and in the U.K. on BT Sport Box Office.
The full main card was:
- Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury
- Ilunga Makabu vs. Badou Jack (WBC cruiserweight title)
- Ziyad Alaamayouf vs. Ronald Martinez
- Muhsin Cason vs. Taryel Jarafov
- Bader Samreen vs. Viorel Simion
Will Jake Paul Knock Out Tommy Fury?
Unfortunately for Paul, he wasn’t able to land a devastating blow on Fury.
Oddsmakers at the online sportsbook Unibet listed Paul to win by KO/TKO/DQ at +240. Paul to win by decision was +195, so Paul’s method of victory was most likely to come via the judges, according to sportsbooks.
Fury to win by KO/TKO/DQ was +280, and +425 to win by decision. According to those lines, oddsmakers believed Fury’s best chance to win was by knockout rather than out-classing Paul over the full fight.
Oddsmakers were wrong, as Fury pulled off the decision victory.
According to oddsmakers, the fight was roughly 50-50 to go to a decision (in the form of a prop bet).
Jake Paul Boxing Record
Paul dropped to a boxing record of 6-1 following the loss to Fury.
Heading into the Fury fight, Jake Paul was 6-0 with four KOs in his professional boxing career. Paul had two wins by decision. Paul’s wins include Anderson Silva (2022), Tyron Woodley (twice in 2021), Ben Askren (2021), Nate Robinson (2020), and AnEsonGib (2020).
Paul started his boxing career with high-profile wins over former UFC stars.
Is Jake Paul Going to Fight MMA?
In early January 2023, Jake Paul announced a deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), a fledgling MMA promotion seeking to dethrone the UFC.
Paul has been training MMA and is expected to eventually compete inside the cage. However, no MMA fights had been scheduled for Paul as of early 2023.
“I’ve proven myself in and out of the boxing ring, and now I am going to do the same in MMA,” Paul said in a statement. “I plan to enter the PFL SmartCage and once again show the world that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. I believe in PFL, their mission, and what they have accomplished in a very short period of time. That is why I chose to partner with PFL exclusively, both as a fighter and a businessperson.”
Paul has some wrestling experience, but his focus has been on boxing. Paul started to train MMA in 2020, according to social media posts. His current MMA record is 0-0.
Jake Paul vs. Conor McGregor?
Paul has lobbied for a boxing fight with Conor McGregor of the UFC. However, there’s little indication that they will ever step inside the ring together.
McGregor is under contract with the UFC, and it’s unlikely he will venture outside that deal to box Paul. McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather in 2017, but that was a one-off occurrence.
McGregor is the smaller fighter, so there is a big weight class difference between McGregor and Paul. The size discrepancy between them also makes a fight unlikely. Never say never, though.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson?
There have been some rumors that Paul could fight boxing legend Mike Tyson. The men are of similar size, so on paper it could be Paul’s toughest challenge yet.
However, Tyson is in his 50s. He’s well past his boxing prime.
Tyson had an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, which ended in a draw. That will likely be Tyson’s final fight of any kind.
It’s unlikely Paul and Tyson ever step inside the ring to throw hands.
