Max Holloway, a seasoned UFC fighter, recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming boxing match between Nate Diaz and Jake Paul. Diaz, who won Season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2007, recently broke a two-fight losing streak with a submission victory over Tony Ferguson in UFC 279’s main event in September last year. Despite originally planning to fight the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, who missed weight, Diaz’s victory over Ferguson allowed him to leave the UFC with a win, a fan favorite.
There has been speculation about Diaz fighting Paul since he left the UFC, and the fight was officially announced for August 5th in Dallas, Texas, this week. Speaking at the UFC on ESPN 44 media day, Holloway shared his prediction for the match without hesitation. He believes that Diaz, an OG in the sport, has a good chance of winning. As someone with a boxing base in MMA, Diaz’s reach and punching power could be lethal in the boxing ring, and Holloway is excited to see him finally test his skills in that arena.
“Oh, you’ve gotta roll with the ‘OG’, Nate,” Holloway said. “You’ve gotta roll with the ‘OG’ Nate, man. I’ve got nothing but love for Nate, and I think he does good. I think he does well man.
He’s a boxer, he’s a boxing base guy in MMA. So now he actually gets to box and stuff, and his reach and – man, he can hit. He can crack, bro. His arms [are] long and he can crack. So I’m excited for that one.”
Holloway explains why Diaz vs. Paul was delayed
Additionally, Holloway claimed to know why the fight between Diaz and Paul took so long to come together. According to him, Diaz wanted to ensure that his team was paid well, which may have caused some delay. Holloway praised Diaz for his concern for his teammates’ welfare, calling him “that dude” who always looks out for his people.
“I heard a few behind the scenes stuff about Nate and why that fight took so long to come in, he’s trying to get all his boys paid, too. So Nate is that dude, bro. He’s that guy.”
Jake Paul even a real boxer?
Jake Paul’s boxing career suffered its first loss when he dropped a split decision to Tommy Fury earlier this year. His success in the ring has mostly come from fighting former MMA fighters, including Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (twice), and Anderson Silva. Although Holloway is excited about the Diaz vs. Paul fight, his primary focus is on his upcoming fight against Arnold Allen in UFC on ESPN 44’s main event. After losing to Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski for the third time, Holloway must prove himself by defeating the surging Allen, who is yet to lose in the UFC.