Ohio native Jake Paul has forced his name upon combat sports analysts over the past five years. He went from nothing more than a ‘YouTube Boxer’ to a kid with natural progression in the ring that many critics began to respect.
After losing a closely fought split-decision to a legitimate [ish] boxer, Tommy Fury, last time out, Paul has returned to what he knows best – MMA fighters. Not just any professional mixed martial artists, but those with a significant reputation in the sport, edging to the latter stage of their careers and owning little boxing experience.
This isn’t a knock-on Paul whatsoever; he’s defeated three MMA veterans after all, two of which are UFC legends, too – Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.
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Has Paul Picked the Wrong MMA Fighter?
Has Paul finally bitten off more than he can chew this time around? As his next opponent is the formidable Nate Diaz. A fighter born and raised in Stockton, California, that’s renowned for his ability to take a punch while maintaining a high level of cardio throughout every round.
If we were to ask Paul this question, the answer wouldn’t cross his mind twice. It would be a straight-up, yes! Paul, 26, has been actively training and competing since 2018, and there’s been one consistent – an air of confidence where he’s always, undeniably, believed victory will be his.
When questioned about the upcoming bout with Diaz on August 5th, Paul said:
I’m ready; It’s not going to go that long.
I think he will be sharp for a couple of rounds, but he can do nothing to stop me. I’m faster; I’m stronger. I’m the better boxer. He’s going to be coming forward. He doesn’t have head movement. He’s trying to pressure me. He’s going to get diced up. I see it ending in four rounds or less.
And if we were to ask the sportsbooks this question, well, a -300 moneyline position favoring Paul versus a +250 underdog price on Diaz certainly speaks volumes. With a Caesars Sportsbook Ohio promo code, bettors can perhaps find a great set of odds with Paul. Still, it isn’t easy to justify this price, despite the representative of the Buckeye Eye state owning an unblemished record against aging MMA fighters.
The former YouTube sensation has made a name for himself in the boxing ring by overcoming former UFC stars Ben Askren, Woodley (Twice), and Silva, but Diaz is none of those guys; he brings something different to the table. More surprisingly, the allotted six-round bout was recently extended to ten rounds, favoring the MMA underdog when evaluating his past successes of fighting through adversity and coming on strong in the latter stages of previous mixed martial arts bouts.
With that in mind, I’d be cautious about laying the wood on Paul, particularly when most bookmakers will be taking action on that side. This wagering stance opinion, however, doesn’t suggest that Paul isn’t capable because he is.
Why Paul Could Easily Beat Diaz
Paul is hungry for a rematch with Fury, and the only way to achieve this is by winning his next fight convincingly. In addition, we don’t believe the Paul camp would sign on the dotted line if they didn’t see potential flaws in Diaz’s game.
Diaz has competed on a mere one occasion in the UFC since last year, and it was a submission choke victory over Tony Ferguson. With a ring rust factor and the belief that Diaz is completely out of shape, underestimating Paul is exactly what every other professional MMA fighter has done, and they’ve paid the price.
Supporting evidence of Diaz’s poor fitness levels and seriousness about the scheduled Paul bout is supported by a sparring partner of the Stockton native, Esquiva Falcao.
“At first, I thought he was tired, and in the end, it looked like he was dying. I held back and kept boxing, and we did 12 rounds. He was tired but taking punches and throwing, too.”, Falcao commented.
“[He] is bad, [he] is bad, but since he’s too heavy – he’s overweight, probably around 220 lbs or more – and I’m the only big guy in the gym, I had to do it. But I liked doing it.”
This information doesn’t bode well for Diaz because the fight is less than six weeks out. However, I’d take it with a pinch of salt. He’s known for his endurance, and we should be confident in his ability to regain fitness. This doesn’t mean he’s unbeatable in the boxing ring, though, and it’ll be an intriguing fight to witness come August 5th.
