Jake Paul beat Nate Diaz by unanimous decision Saturday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Diaz, the MMA star who was making his pro boxing debut, was the clear favorite of the announced sellout crowd. But the cheers had little impact on the outcome in the 10-round showdown between the 26-year-old Paul and 38-year-old Diaz.
The judges scored it 97-92, 98-91 and 98-91.
Paul, who knocked Diaz down in the fifth round, said he was sure he’d won the fight on the judges’ cards and thought Diaz won only one round. “Although he’s a warrior, you know? I had him hurt in the first round, he kept on coming and no one’s taken that much damage,” Paul said.
Paul proved to be not only younger but stronger — and a more skilled boxer.
“He’s real tough,’’ Paul said of Diaz. “That’s what he’s known for. But tough in this sport doesn’t work.”
With the victory, Paul improved to 7-1 while bouncing back from his first defeat — a loss to Tommy Fury by split decision in February.
Paul also extended his string of victories over MMA fighters. Previously, he beat Ben Askren with a first-round knockout, beat Tyron Woodley by decision and by sixth-round knockout and beat Anderson Silva by unanimous decision.
Diaz now is expected to return to the UFC, potentially for a trilogy fight against Conor McGregor.
Who won the Jake Paul fight?
Jake Paul defeated Nate Diaz by unanimous decision. The judges scored it 97-92, 98-91 and 98-91 for Paul.
Round-by-round analysis
Round 1
Boxers feeling things out. Nothing solid connecting yet. Now Jake lands two lefts. Nate’s hurt. Now comes an avalanche of punches. Nate struggling to stay upright. Jake not letting up. Nate doing his best to stay on his feet, and still a minute left in the round. Nate throws a couple of jabs. No snap to those punches. Nate pawing more than punching. Jake 10, Nate 9.
Round 2
Nate comes out aggressive but they wind up in a clinch. Nate still looks lost as Jake lands as couple of body shots. Nate gets close and lands a few punches – but nothing that rattles Jake, yet. Nate at best can be described as orthodox. Jake lands a combo. Jake lands a few hard shots to head. Nate smiles. Nate leaning on Jake and punching. Odd, but effective? Jake 20, Nate 18.
Round 3
Nate moving forward. Jake responds with an uppercut that lands. Nate lands punches but without power. Nate bulling Jake back. Then Jake lands a huge shot to the head. And Nate still coming forward. Crowd chanting “Diaz, Diaz!’’ Jake lands another power shot to Nate’s chin. Now Jake going to the body. Hard to know what Nate’s plan is here. Jake 30, Nate 27.
Round 4
Nate appears to be content to get into a clinch. But Jake responding with uppercuts. Nate shakes it off. Hard to imagine the punches don’t hurt. Nate throwing more punches, but still not landing with authority. Now, Nate finally lands a crisp uppercut. Nate stringing together some punches. LANDS a big shot that staggers Jake. Jake 39, Nate 37.
Round 5
Jake’s looking more solid at the start of this round. Nate playing possum? Nate suddenly retreating. Is age going to catch up to the 38-year-old MMA fighter? Big left hook, and down goes Nate!!! But he’s up and beats the count. Jake landing big punches. Nate looks like he’s in trouble again. Nate pawing at Jake, now firing punches. Jake sticks his tongue out at Nate. Again. Jake 49, Nate 45.
Round 6
Jake opens with two big shots. Nate lands a left, but again without force. Nate pushing forward and lands a flurry of punches. But Jake looks unhurt. Jake clearly the dominant boxer. Maybe move to the cage for the final few rounds? Jake 59, Nate 54.
Round 7
Jake wakes up Nate with another flurry of punches. About to put him to sleep? Jake appears to be in control. Well, there’s no quit in Nate. Moving forward to landing punches. Still coming forward. Jake 69, Nate 63.
Round 8
Diaz pressuring, but Jake is throwing the harder punches. Nate just has no snap on the punches he’s throwing. But he’s coming forward. Crowd still energized and pulling for Nate. Nate lands a couple of uppercuts! Jake responds with a straight right. And a big hook. Round ends, but Nate’s in Jake’s face! Jake 78, Nate 73.
Round 9
Nate looking energized. Feinting. Crowd chanting again, “Diaz, Diaz!’’ Jake fires two solid lefts. Not backing away. Jake on the attack. But Nate moving forward again. Jake content to backpedal and fire away. Nate mocking Jake for backing up. Nate giving it everything he has! Stalking Jake. But Jake looks unbothered. Jake 88, Nate 82.
Round 10
Nate knows he needs the knockout. He’s talking to the crowd, and Jake attacks. A solid right by Nate. Jake backpedaling. Nate calls him forward. Appears to be trying to draw in Jake for a KO blow. Nate has him in the corner. Clubbing Jake! But they’re separated by the referee. Nate throws arms up in air. But it will be no victory for him. Jake 98, Nate 91.
***
Nate Diaz walks to the ring
Nate Diaz is in the ring. He was joined on his walk by rapper E-40. Diaz’s brother, Nick — also an accomplished MMA fighter — was spotted with Diaz earlier in the evening.
Jake Paul walks to the ring
Jake Paul is in the ring. He was joined on his ringwalk by his brother, Logan Paul — who made it just in time — and rapper Lil Durk.
Logan Paul arrives just in time for Jake Paul’s fight
He made it just in time.
Amanda Serrano puts on clinic vs. Heather Hardy, retains titles
Amanda Serrano, the women’s unified featherweight champion, successfully defended her belts in bloody fashion.
Serrano pounded 41-year-old Heather Hardy, who somehow managed to survive all 10 rounds.
Serrano won the fight by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 99-91, 100-90 and 100-90.
The two fighters embraced before the ninth round and again after the fight.
“We gave it all, our blood, sweat and tears,’’ Serrano said.
Before the ninth round, Hardy told the ring doctor she wanted to fight despite her swollen left eye. She also grew angry when the referee appeared to consider stopping the fight when a headbutt left her face covered with blood.
“I gave it everything,’’ Hardy said after the fight before breaking into tears.
Co-main event time
Amanda Serrano is putting her titles on the line in a rematch with Heather Hardy. The pair are in the ring now.
Rapper Saweetie joined Serrano, who rocked a Dallas Cowboys-themed getup and matching Jordans, for the ringwalk.
Chris Avila defeats Jeremy Stephens
In a battle of two guys with extensive MMA experience, Chris Avila defeated longtime UFC stalwart Jeremy Stephens. Avila, a friend of the Diaz brothers, got the victory via unanimous decision, 59-55, 59-55, 60-54. Seemingly in control for most of the six-round fight, Avila began taunting Stephens during the fourth round.
Avila landed 141 punches to Stephens’ 81.
Jake Paul arrives for fight on a tank
Jake Paul has proven throughout his career that he can get people’s attention. He did it again Saturday night, arriving for his fight with Nate Diaz … riding on a tank.
According to the broadcast, Paul arrived on the tank around 8:55 p.m. local time. At least per the broadcast, Diaz’s entrance was much more low-key: they showed him simply walking through the hallways of the American Airlines Center at 8:45 p.m. local.
Former foe Ben Askren weighs in on Jake Paul-Nate Diaz fight
Ben Askren, who suffered a first-round knockout against Paul in 2021, offered his take on the Paul-Diaz fight.
“I know I stink at boxing, I don’t know how people think Diaz is gonna win given the fact that Jake has beaten much large(r) Tyron (Woodley) and Anderson (Silva). Seems very unlikely,” Askren wrote on social media.
Askren was the first MMA fighter to face Paul in the boxing ring. Diaz will be the fourth.
Ashton Sylve knocks out William Silva
Sylve wasn’t done after his second-round knockdown. The 19-year-old leveled Silva with another body shot at the 2:59 mark of the fourth round, earning the stoppage after Silva failed to rise.
Ashton Sylve provides first knockdown of the night
Ashton Sylve dropped William Silva to the canvas with a body shot in the second round of their match. It was the first knockdown of the main card.
Shadasia Green defeats Olivia Curry
Shadasia Green did not get the finish, but she left little doubt. Green earned a unanimous decision victory over Olivia Curry to improve to 13-0. The judges scored the 10-round bout 99-91, 100-90, 100-89 in favor of Green, who connected on 46% of her punches (179-for-385) to Curry’s 20% (99-for-495).
Green took over the fight in the sixth round, unleashing on Curry, and stayed in control. Though perhaps little consolation for Curry, she became the first woman to go the distance with Green since 2019; Green had stopped her previous nine opponents.
Jake Paul promotes fight vs. Nate Diaz with gruesome image
Paul used his Twitter account to send a gruesome message before the fight. He posted a graphic that featured a photoshopped image of Paul holding the bloodied, decapitated head of Nate Diaz. The accompanying comment: “Sending him back to the cage.”
Jake Paul’s brother Logan gets WWE win at SummerSlam
In what was dubbed as the “most viral match” for WWE, Logan Paul — Jake Paul’s older brother who has one professional boxing bout under his belt and also once fought Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition — again proved how good of a wrestling heel he is. Paul started the match vs. Ricochet in control, all while egging on the crowd to continue booing him. Anytime Ricochet looked to get some sort of momentum, Paul was quick to gain control right back, showing off some power that hasn’t been seen much in his time with the company.
But what was a great match ended in a dud, as Paul got some brass knuckles from one of his friends. Paul was able to connect with a punch to knock out Ricochet, get the pin and most of all, have Samantha Irvin − Ricochet’s fiancée − announce him as the victor. — Jordan Mendoza
Alan Sanchez defeats Angel Beltran in first fight of Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz main card
The first bout of the main card started with a bang. Alan Sanchez earned a unanimous decision victory over Angel Beltran in a bout that went the distance and left both fighters battered and bloody. The judges had the fight 77-75, 78-74, 79-73 for Sanchez.
Sanchez unloaded some big shots in the eighth and final round, but Beltran was able to hang on until the final bell. Still, Beltran saw his eight-fight winning streak come to an end and dropped to 17-2. Sanchez, meanwhile, has now won three in a row to improve to 23-5-1.
Sanchez landed 149 punches to Beltran’s 130.
Who will the judges be for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz?
David Sutherland, David Iacobucci and Chris Migliore will be the judges for the Paul-Diaz fight.
Who will the referee be for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz?
Mark Calo-oy will be the referee for the Paul-Diaz fight.
Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz pay per view card begins
The action is underway in Dallas. Angel Beltran and Alan Sanchez have made their ringwalks and are in the ring for a bout scheduled for eight rounds.
Who is on the undercard for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz?
The Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz fight is co-headlined by Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy 2.
The undercard will feature:
- Chris Avila vs. Jeremy Stephens (featherweight)
- Shadasia Green vs. Olivia Curry (super middleweight)
- Ashton Sylve vs. William Silva (lightweight)
- Alan Sanchez vs. Angel Beltran (super middleweight)
Paul and Diaz are expected to make their walks to the ring around 11 p.m. ET.
When is the Jake Paul-Nate Diaz fight?
The card is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.
Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz pay per view
The card is available on both DAZN and ESPN+ for $59.99.
Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul prediction
Paul has overhauled his team after the setback against Tommy Fury.
Most significantly, he cut ties with trainer BJ Flores and brought in Shane Mosley, the former world champion who worked with Paul in the YouTube celebrity’s pro debut in 2019.
He also hired Larry Wade, a seasoned boxing coach who has overseen the strength and conditioning program. Paul says he’s in the best shape of his boxing career.
There appears to be no hard feelings between Paul and Flores, who helped develop Paul into a legitimate boxer and will be in Dallas for the fight.
“I think Nate’s going to be aggressive, he’s going to have to be aggressive, and that’s going to play right into Jake.”
Nate Diaz, Jake Paul hold vulgar press conference
During a Thursday press conference to promote their fight, Diaz used an anti-gay slur and Paul said he would sexually assault Diaz if they met in a dark street and there was nobody around.
Tela Mange, spokesperson for the Texas Boxing Commission, told USA TODAY Sports by email, “We do not regulate what the fighters say to each other or anyone else.”
Members of the fighters’ security teams traded punches when a melee broke out at the end of the press conference.
Bad blood spills over into Friday weigh-ins
Diaz, after acknowledging loud cheers from the crowd, said of Paul, “No matter how the fight goes, let’s don’t forget, ‘This (expletive) can’t really fight.’ ”
With that, Diaz shot Paul the double bird and fired off more profanity as he left the stage.
Responded Paul, “Man, they’ve been saying Nate’s tough. Nate’s a dog. Well, guess what… Tomorrow, I’m dog walking that (expletive)! I’m putting him on a leash, and I’m sending him back to the cage!’’
Jake Paul weight
Paul weighed in at 185 on the nose Friday.
Nate Diaz weight
Diaz weighed in at 184.9 pounds Friday.
Jake Paul fight record
Jake Paul is 6-1 (4 KOs) as a professional boxer, with wins over a number of notable UFC fighters (Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren) as well as former NBA player Nate Robinson.
Who did Jake Paul lose to?
Paul is coming off his first loss — a split decision defeat vs. Tommy Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, in February.
Nate Diaz fight record
This will be Nate Diaz’s first professional boxing match, but he has extensive fighting experience in MMA. Diaz has compiled a 22-13 record in MMA, with notable wins over Conor McGregor, Donald Cerrone, Jim Miller and, most recently, Tony Ferguson.
Former Jake Paul opponent Tyron Woodley: Age difference could be issue for Nate Diaz
Like Diaz, former UFC champion Tyron Woodley made his professional boxing debut against Paul. He lost their first fight by split decision and got knocked out in the rematch.
Though Woodley declined to make a prediction, he did offer analysis, suggesting age could be an issue for the 38-year-old Diaz against the 26-year-old Paul.
“He’s going to be slower, he’s going to be older, he’s gong to lose a lot of the power,’’ Woodley told USA TODAY Sports of Diaz. “But he will have the advantage with cardio and he will have the advantage with volume. He’s going to throw way more punches, way more punches than Jake’s going to throw.
“He’s going to pressure Jake and Jake’s going to hit him with some (expletive) that most people would have buckled and went away from. And Nate may be one of the guys that still walk him down.’’
Woodley said he’s too busy to watch fights these days – but is making an exception tonight. Mostly, he said, he wants to see the two fighters make a lot of money.
“So they’ve got me watching and I’m a hard sell, I think they’re going to do well,’’ he said.
Cesar Gracie: Nate Diaz ‘not going to get rattled by a YouTube guy’
Cesar Gracie, Diaz’s longtime Jiu-Jitsu teacher, said he has no qualms about Diaz moving from the cage to the boxing ring. He pointed out that many years ago Diaz sparred against Andre Ward, the retired world champion boxer.
“He’s used to boxing really good people,’’ Gracie told USA TODAY Sports of Diaz. “Nate, he definitely could have been a boxer.’’
But unsolicited, Gracie also pointed out that Diaz, 38, is considerably older than Paul, 26, and moving up in weight to 185 pounds from his typical fighting weight of 170 pounds.
“So I can see why a lot of people give Jake the edge, and why he’s the favorite. “ Gracie told USA TODAY Sports. “But I like Nate’s chances, a lot.
“Nate’s a true veteran, he’s been in huge fights, main events, the whole thing. And he’s not going to get rattled by a YouTube guy.’’
Opinion: Bringing Nate Diaz to the ring is a black eye for boxing
Nate Diaz, in 2013, was doing something awful, and unfortunately it wouldn’t be the last time. He used a homophobic slur on Twitter and it was so bad that even the UFC, which seems to tolerate a lot of bad behavior, suspended Diaz for 90 days and fined him $20,000.
Diaz took the suspension to heart and changed his ways. He decided that being homophobic was wrong. That attacking a group of people was wrong. He said it would never happen again and was deeply sorry. He grew and learned and became a much better man.
Nah, LOL, that didn’t happen because Nate Diaz would be awful again.
Boxing isn’t a place for saints. All sports and leagues have their goons. I mean, Deshaun Watson has a job. Boxing has had plenty of bad guys. I get that.
But boxing is making a bad deal with the devil by embracing Diaz. If the sport thinks Diaz is a fix for its problems, that’s just dead wrong. Maybe because he’s a big name he provides a sugar high, a short-term spike, but as his use of a slur (twice) shows, he’s more likely to embarrass boxing than help save it. — Mike Freeman
Jake Paul net worth
Paul, who rose to fame as a social media star, particularly on YouTube, has a net worth around $60 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. According to Forbes, Paul made roughly $40 million from boxing in 2021.
Contributing: Victoria Hernandez
