Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz: Everything You Need to Know

Whether you like him or not, social media influencer Jake Paul has been stirring up a storm in recent years in the world of combat sports, and it looks like he just found his next opponent.

Nate Diaz, a fan-favorite MMA fighter with a long UFC history, officially announced that the fight is on between himself and Jake Paul on his Instagram.

Their fight is set for August 5th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas for eight rounds at 185 pounds, with the pay-per-view being arranged through DAZN.

But this fight isn’t a new idea for both fighters; rumors, words, and altercations have been flying between both fighters.

The Fighting Backgrounds of Jake Paul and Nate Diaz

Jake Paul’s fighting background roots back very recently, with his first appearance being against Deji, another YouTuber, in 2018 on the undercard of KSI vs Logan Paul I, where Jake won.

He later made his professional debut in 2020 against YouTuber Ali Eson Gib (AnEsonGib) in which Jake won by a TKO in round 1.

Despite having no prior professional boxing experience, Paul has trained with some of the best coaches and fighters in the sport and has shown impressive power and technique in the ring.

Paul has 7 matches total in the boxing world, boasting an impressive 6-1 professional record, with his only loss coming from Tommy Fury, a half-brother of Tyson Fury.

In his record, he isn’t unfamiliar with the idea of boxing UFC fighters, winning against Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and even Anderson Silva.

Nate Diaz, on the other hand, is a veteran in the fight game with his first competitive fight being in 2002 against Robert Limon in a bare-knuckle MMA fight.

Diaz made his professional debut on October 24th, 2004, against Alejandro Garcia in 2004, where he won via submission.

He provides a strong and tested record of 21 wins and 13 losses, with notable victories against Conor McGregor, and Donald Cerrone, another UFC veteran.

Analyzing the Stats: Strengths and Weaknesses of Both Fighters

With both opponents coming from different backgrounds, styles, builds, and experience levels, let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of the fighters.

Jake Paul:

Strengths

Paul has demonstrated some power behind his punches, with 4 out of his 6 wins resulting from KOs
He seems to have a durable chin, with his only loss coming from a split decision, and going the full 8 rounds in a couple of his fights
Despite being relatively new to the sport, he remains relaxed in the ring and has a solid counterpunching ability for his experience level
Jake will have the clear weight advantage in the Diaz fight, as Nate Diaz is used to 155 pounds/170 pounds
At 26, Jake’s body is in its prime function

Weaknesses

His jab is flawed, noticeable especially in the Anderson Silva fight
Jake is new to the idea of combat sports, beginning only in 2018
His footwork isn’t very fluid and requires some work
While Jake Paul has decent punching power, he relies on his overhand right landing far too much

Nate Diaz:

Strengths

Nate Diaz is notorious for his high endurance, so the transition into 8 rounds won’t be an issue for him
He is insanely durable, only being TKO’d once in his 35-fight MMA career, against Josh Thompson (not counting doctor stoppages)
While not necessarily in boxing, Nate has been competing for decades — fighting experience that Jake Paul doesn’t have

Weaknesses

Despite Nate’s UFC experience, he has never boxed before, which is a completely different sport in itself
Nate Diaz is 38 years old — not preferable when you are going against a 26-year-old
He’s never fought at 185 pounds, while Jake Paul is very comfortable at that weight

Pre-Fight Build-Up: Tensions and Altercations

The history between them starts at the Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva fight that took place on October 29th, 2022, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Before the fight took place, Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz’s team got into an altercation with members of Jake Paul’s security.

In the video, verbal insults commence between the two groups, until Nate Diaz throws a drink at one of the security guards, where Jake’s security rushes the Diaz group, and punches begin to be thrown.

The altercation is eventually broken up, and Nate Diaz’s crew goes into the crowd to watch the fight.

After Jake Paul won via unanimous decision over Anderson Silva, he called out Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz for leaving the arena, saying the following:

“And Masvidal and Nate Diaz, yall are some b****es for leaving this arena, ’cause I know you don’t want that s**t. I’ll take out both of yall next, just get out of your contract with Daddy Dana, and I’m gonna f**k them up too!”

Jake continued on his rant in the post-fight conference interview, saying:

“Nate Diaz was here acting like a b****. Everyone wants that fight. He tried to fight people in the hallway. Nate, stop fighting people for free. Let’s do it in the ring. I know you’re a little slow, buddy, but it’s OK, we can make that fight happen.”

After being informed of what happened between his security and Nate’s team, Jake Paul then said:

“It’s typical of him. It’s what he likes to do. He’s a street gangster. He likes to act tough, and he’s really not. Why are you trying to beat somebody up in a hallway, bro?”

Despite Jake Paul’s antics, Nate Diaz remained quiet on the situation, only briefly speaking on the possibility of them fighting in interviews, until the fight was officially announced on his Instagram.

The Odds: Betting Lines and Predictions

At the time of writing, Jake Paul remains the -240 favorite, with Nate Diaz being the +184 underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Besides the betting odds, notable MMA commentator and former 2x UFC champion Daniel Cormier has given his words on the fight via his YouTube channel, saying:

“I don’t know how much I like it. I don’t know how much I like the fight based on two things:

1. Jake’s big for him. Jake’s going to be big for Diaz.

2. Jake also is improving as a boxer.”

“But Jake can also hit Nate, and that’s the worry. Nate is a guy that does get hit because Nate’s tough.”

“Nate got hit by Jorge Masvidal. Nate got hit by Tony Ferguson, and we know who Tony Ferguson is today as opposed to who Tony Ferguson was before. Nate can be hit, and this guy’s going to be bigger than Nate.”

“This guy’s going to be fighting in a rule set that benefits him. It’s going to be difficult. It’s going to be a very tough fight for Diaz, just because he has to be so aware.”

“Now, can Diaz outbox him? Yeah. If he can outwork him. I think Diaz’s ability to outwork people is what’s going to be his biggest advantage in this fight because the one thing we have seen in Paul, we saw it against Tyron the first time, we saw it against Tommy Fury last time, we have seen it on numerous occasions that he can get tired.”

“He can fatigue. Because all this stuff is new to him. Nate doesn’t get tired. So if Nate’s going to have an opportunity to win this fight, Nate has got to set a high pace early, and he’s got to keep that pace going the entirety of the fight and he has got to stay away from the right-hand.”

With that being said, Daniel Cormier seems to be trying to remain neutral in his predictions, but he does seem to think Jake Paul poses a serious threat to Nate Diaz, supported by the betting odds.

Preparing for the Fight: A Look Into Jake Paul and Nate Diaz’s Training

Jake Paul has already given some insight into his training for his upcoming boxing fight.

His workouts vary day by day, but his recent routine relies on the following format:

Workout 1:

Strength/Conditioning Movement: His first movement utilizes exercises to both build his endurance and put on some strength, often farmer’s carries or battle ropes. These movements also function as part of his warmup, along with his second movement.
Shadowboxing: Jake Paul then hops in the ring and begins shadowboxing some punches and combos, along with working on technique.
Pad work: He then begins some pad work with his trainers, where he practices countering, combos, touching up on technique, and improving his reflexes.
Sparring: Jake then begins a sparring session of 5-10 rounds, depending on the day. This serves to work on his gas tank, in addition to familiarizing himself with a real opponent and working on his skills.
Cooldown: After a long and taxing sparring session, he will break out the jump rope for a cooldown, sometimes even a jog on the treadmill or outside.

Workout 2:

Compound Lift: Jake’s second workout likes to focus mainly on strength, as such, he usually does a barbell compound movement first, typically bench presses or squats
Complimentary Exercise(s): He sticks with the theme of the compound lift, performing exercises targeting similar parts of the body. Paul has been seen doing push-ups, leg curls, sled pushes, and power cleans for this stage.
Pad work: After completing an intense strength training session, he likes to finish it off with some pad work to get even more boxing practice in

Other:

Outdoor runs: On certain days in the week, Jake Paul will perform 3-7 mile runs for some extra conditioning
Neck raises: On occasion, he can be seen doing neck raises with a harness to protect himself in the ring
Recovery: If you have ever browsed Jake Paul’s social media, you’ll know the influencer loves ice baths for recovery. Ice baths help reduce inflammation and muscle soreness so that he can train just as hard the next day.

Now let’s look at Nate Diaz’s training routine.

Workout 1:

Triathlon training: Nate has an endless endurance tank for a reason; he does 75 minutes of running, biking, and swimming, 5 days a week.

Workout 2:

Pad work: Like Jake Paul, Nate has been seen practicing on the pads to work on technique and combos.
Sparring: After the pads, Nate likes to do multiple rounds of sparring to put the pad work to use, though it isn’t clear how many rounds he performs

Workout 3:

Weight training: 1-2 days out of the week, Nate will be in the weight room. It is unclear what his exact routine is, however, Damian Gonzalez, his trainer leading up to the 1st McGregor fight, has commented saying:

“The weights are not super-heavy, it’s to build functional strength, not necessarily to become powerful. We do medium weights so they can move quicker.”

Final Thoughts: Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz

As August 5th approaches, fans of Jake Paul, Nate Diaz, boxing, and MMA, have all been sharing their opinions on the fight, and who they believe will win.

Breaking down the odds, it seems the people favor Jake Paul to win the match, but is this prediction justified?

Jake Paul is new to the sport of boxing, starting in 2018, but over the years he has racked up a 6-1 professional record.

Nate Diaz, on the other hand, isn’t new to the combat sports game, competing professionally since 2004, but he has never boxed before.

We break down the strengths and weaknesses, odds, and expert opinions of both fighters for a full understanding.

Who do you believe will win on August 5th? Comment on our Facebook post here.