Nate Diaz (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
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Do not file Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal’s boxing match in the same folder as Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen “fight.”
To put it plainly, Saturday night’s fight at the Honda Center in Anaheim was fun and the Silva-Sonnen exhibition was not a true competition.
Diaz prevailed with a majority decision over Masvidal, but it was anything but an open-and-shut case with the judges’ scorecards (97-93, 98-92, 95-95). Both 39-year-olds showcased their impressive endurance, throwing over 1,400 punches in the fight.
Diaz’s relentless action, though not as powerful, influenced the judges with his work rate. However, there was no question that Masvidal’s punches were far more powerful and seemingly damaging.
Diaz’s chin continues to be impressive. Diaz never took a step backward, no matter what shots he ate, and kept throwing punches the entire fight. Here is a look at some of the shots Diaz took in stride.
The judges favored Diaz’s volume over Masvidal’s power punches, and that would explain two of the three calling it for the Stockton, California native.
After the fight, Diaz called his win a “mission accomplished.” The two men met in the first-ever BMF title fight in the UFC. Masvidal won via TKO when the doctor stopped the fight because of a nasty gash above Diaz’s eye.
During his post-fight interview, Diaz expressed an interest in fighting Jake Paul again. He fought Paul in a boxing match in August 2023 and lost a unanimous decision. Paul scored a knockdown 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 PFL’s SmartCage, but the latter turned down the $15 million offer.
Paul took to social media with a profane response to address that after hearing Diaz’s callout. Business relations with the UFC probably prevent Diaz from taking Paul’s offer, but we’ll see what happens moving forward.
The Diaz-Masvidal fight looked to be a significant commercial success. The Honda Center in Anaheim was packed, loud, and spirited for the event.
The announced attendance for the event was 18,040, which is impressive. Perhaps Diaz’s proven marketability will open up new opportunities for him. He also called out current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, as Diaz still wants to win a UFC title.
Diaz lost to Edwards via unanimous decision in June 2021, but he staggered him in the fifth round, suggesting that he could potentially have some success against the current champion.
Considering his age, it may be a stretch, but Diaz is a proven needle-mover with fans, which may be something the UFC can’t resist.