Jorge Masvidal doesn’t flinch on the prospects of combating Nate Diaz in a boxing match. Masvidal has been there earlier than, and overwhelmed Diaz, when the pair starred at UFC 244 on Nov. 2, 2019. Since then, each 39-year-olds have spewed a wholesome dose of venom at each other, highlighted final month by a brawl between the 2 camps over the past press convention making an attempt to construct the combat.
This Saturday on the Honda Middle in Anaheim, California, Diaz and Masvidal, two past-their-prime MMA stars, will combat in a 10-round gentle heavyweight. There will likely be actual boxers on the cardboard, with former WBA middleweight titlist Danny Jacobs fights Shane Mosley Jr. in a brilliant middleweight bout, because the co-feature on Fanmio/DAZN/UFC Combat Go PPV (9 p.m. ET).
In his one professional boxing match, Diaz misplaced to Jake Paul by unanimous choice through which he was dropped twice in August 2023. The final time Diaz received a combat goes again to September 10, 2022, when he choked out Tony Ferguson in an MMA combat on UFC 279.
“I might care much less about Nate’s background, however anybody with two fingers, you at all times should be involved with and provides them respect,” mentioned Masvidal, who will likely be competing in boxing for the second time.
The final time he received a combat was by beating Diaz 5 years in the past at UFC 244.
“I really feel that Diaz may be very restricted from what I noticed in his combat in opposition to Jake Paul,” Masvidal mentioned. “What I do know is Nate may be very hard-headed. He doesn’t change. He simply comes ahead and tries to tire guys out. That is boxing, and he will likely be a par with me. July 6 will present that I’m firmly a scholar of this sport. I’m trying to be as violent as attainable. I like being sharp and intelligent that you may be in boxing. I’ll take his ass out by spherical 4. I’m excited.”
Masvidal’s first professional boxing match got here in June 2005 in opposition to a fighter named Joseph Benjamin, who was 1-11-2 coming into the combat.
“I at all times requested UFC to field, and they’d not let me and I used to be at all times bummed out about that, however finally, I received the permission,” he mentioned. “I received permission to combat thrice, and as soon as I received that, I used to be going to take this critically. I received to coach with Roy Jones Jr. for 10 days and received an opportunity to coach beneath Freddie Roach. It was superb. I’m dedicated to this. I skilled from night-to-day.”
The hate comes from their one MMA match. That spilled over into what occurred final month, when somebody from Diaz’s crew threw a punch at Masvidal. Then, Masvidal’s coach, Jorge Capetillo, received concerned and a brawl erupted between each groups. Curiously sufficient, Diaz was nowhere across the brawl.
“That is actual, and it didn’t should be like this, as a result of it began out with mutual respect,” Masvidal mentioned. “After he took his as kicking in New York, at UFC 244, when he wanted a medical skilled to save lots of his life, he took to the web and began saying some issues like how I used to be a coward and all these excuses. He didn’t make sense. I whooped his ass for quarter-hour. It saved coming and I used to be combating for world championships when he was out of the UFC.
“I signed up with Fanmio for boxing, it simply occurred to be in opposition to Nate Diaz. However he needed to be excessive. His camp (allegedly) attacked my coach and I believed he was a coward. That is for Nate Diaz and his complete crew, and he pays for that. I undoubtedly will put this within the purest approach attainable: I need to break his face; I need him pissing blood for a month. This won’t be Hagler-Hearns, as a result of I might not examine Nate Diaz to any a type of greats.
“This won’t be a warfare. This will likely be an ass kicking, just like the U.S. invading Barbados.”
Joseph Santoliquito is a Corridor of Fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.Observe @JSantoliquito
