Nate Diaz (Photo by Sam Hood/Getty Images)
Don’t put the Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal boxing match in the same folder as the Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen “fight.”
Simply put, the bout Saturday night at Honda Center in Anaheim was entertaining, and the exhibition bout between Silva and Sonnen was not a real competition.
Diaz won a majority decision over Masvidal, but the outcome of the fight was far from clear according to the judges’ scores (97-93, 98-92, 95-95). The two 39-year-old boxers showed their incredible stamina, landing more than 1,400 punches in the fight.
Diaz’s consistent, though not forceful, actions impressed the judges with his work rate. However, there was no doubt that Masvidal’s punches were much stronger and more damaging.
Diaz’s chin is still impressive. Diaz never took a step back, no matter how many blows he took, and kept throwing punches throughout the fight. Here’s a look at some of the strikes Diaz landed.
The judges favored Diaz’s size over Masvidal’s power punches, which is why two of the three judges ruled the Stockton, California native the winner.
After the match, Diaz called his win “mission accomplished.” The two men met in the first-ever UFC BMF title bout. Masvidal won by technical knockout when the doctor stopped the bout due to a nasty gash above Diaz’s eye.
During the post-fight interview, Diaz expressed interest in facing Jake Paul again. He fought Paul in August 2023 and lost by unanimous decision. Paul scored a knockout in the fifth round of that fight.
Paul, who has a deal with the Professional Fighters League, offered to face Diaz in a rematch inside the league’s SmartCage, but Diaz turned down the $15 million offer.
Paul took to social media with hateful reaction To address this issue after hearing Diaz’s appeal. Business ties with the UFC may prevent Diaz from accepting Paul’s offer, but we’ll see what happens in the future.
The Diaz-Masvidal fight appeared to be a huge commercial success. The Honda Center in Anaheim was packed, loud, and full of energy.
the Attendance has been announced. The event had an impressive attendance of 18,040. Perhaps Diaz’s proven marketing ability will open up new opportunities for him. He also invited current UFC middleweight champion Leon Edwards, as Diaz still wants to win the UFC title.
Diaz lost to Edwards via unanimous decision in June 2021, but he knocked him out in the fifth round, suggesting he could have some success against the current champion.
Given his age, this may seem like a stretch, but Diaz has proven his ability to move audiences, which may be something the UFC can’t resist.