Jake Paul Stops Nate Diaz in a Paul vs Diaz Showdown!
The social media star returned to his winning ways, capitalizing on the trend of fighting mixed martial artists-turned-boxers. Despite a spirited performance from Nate Diaz, the UFC icon succumbed to a ten-round unanimous decision defeat in his professional boxing debut in a Paul vs Diaz bout. Judges favored Paul with scores of 97-92, 98-91, and 98-91 during the main event of the DAZN/ESPN+/PPV.com broadcast from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, this past Saturday. Earlier this year, Paul tasted his first career loss against England's Tommy Fury in a closely contested split decision. However, he expressed satisfaction with his improved performance and tactical adjustments that led to his victory over Diaz. The majority of the crowd in Paul vs Diaz, full to capacity, cheered on the 38-year-old former MMA combatant as he stepped into the boxing ring for the first time. But their support could not shield Diaz when the match began, and Paul promptly initiated an offensive. A string of right hands and a left hook had the Stockton, California native reeling barely sixty seconds into the match. The early minutes of the second round saw Diaz maintaining distance, but Paul quickly diminished that gap. He rained down right hands on Diaz while also delivering occasional body blows. Diaz did manage to wriggle out of dire straits by clinching and occasionally engaging with the crowd. In the third round, Paul's left hook found its mark repeatedly. A particular blow around the 80-second mark snapped Diaz's head back, but he didn't seem excessively affected by the punches thereafter. The fourth round heated up as Diaz started to retaliate effectively. Despite Paul's successful left hooks and right hands, Diaz managed to close the distance and land several left hands to grab Paul's attention. The match swung dramatically back in Paul's favor in the fifth round. He cleverly created distance from Diaz and delivered a well-timed left hook to the temple that sent Diaz sprawling to the canvas. Diaz recovered and managed to launch a few power shots but also had to absorb a right hand to the body. Diaz managed to endure the sixth round without any significant damage. The seventh round saw both fighters exchange uppercuts, with Paul emerging on the upper end. Round eight saw Paul strategically moving around the ring while Diaz tried to corner him. Despite Diaz's successful shots towards the end of the round, it was Paul's right hand in the ninth round that helped him regain control of the fight. In the final round of the Paul vs Diaz fight, Paul relied on fundamental boxing strategies. He maintained a distance that prevented Diaz from launching any effective attacks. However, Diaz managed a flurry of blows along the ropes with a little over a minute left in the fight, only for Paul to clinch and return to his boxing basics. In the closing seconds of the Paul vs Diaz match, Diaz couldn't resist reverting to his MMA instincts, applying a guillotine choke. However, Paul remained unfazed and continued to box until the final bell. The pair shared a moment of camaraderie at the center of the ring after the match concluded. With this victory, Paul improved his record to 7-1, including 4 KOs. This marked his successful return to winning ways after his defeat five months prior. Paul's decision win adds to his record, marking his fourth bout going the distance in his last five fights. The outlier was his knockout victory against Tyrone Woodley in December 2021, following a split decision win over the same opponent four months earlier.
