Jake Paul returned to winning ways with a convincing win over Nate Diaz in Texas on Saturday night; the bout took place inside the home of NBA side Dallas Mavericks, where Paul came out on top with the three judges scoring the fight 97-92, 98-91, and 98-91 in his favour
Sunday 6 August 2023 13:07, UK
YouTube personality Jake Paul won a unanimous decision against former UFC star Nate Diaz in a cruiserweight boxing fight on Saturday night.
Paul, who has turned himself into a prizefighter, clearly held the advantage for much of the 10-round fight. Diaz, a mixed-martial arts fighter who left the UFC in 2022, appeared on the verge of a knockout at various moments.
Paul (7-1) showed he was better conditioned throughout the fight as he bounced back from his first career loss - a split-decision against Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia in February. The three judges scored the fight 97-92, 98-91, and 98-91.
"He's tough, that's what he's known for," Paul said of Diaz. "Of course (I expected to win the decision). I knocked him down."
Diaz, making his pro boxing debut, struck several blows near the end of the third round, briefly leaving Paul wobbly before the bell. The 38-year-old continued his offensive in the fourth round, landing several jabs to the roars of the decidedly pro-Diaz crowd.
In the fifth round, however, Diaz appeared fatigued and Paul jumped on the opportunity. He sent Diaz briefly to the floor with a clean left hook before levelling successive blows to Diaz's head later in the round.
Neither fighter scored big in the sixth round, though Diaz was battling puffiness in both eyes. Diaz scored with a combination of punches in the seventh, and both fighters exchanged blows during a particularly eventful eighth round.
Diaz did plenty of showboating in the ring, taunting Paul at times and turning his back on him. He also mocked one of Paul's punches in the ninth round.
However, Diaz looked like he was moments from being knocked out on several occasions. Even as he preened toward the crowd and away from Paul, Diaz appeared less and less steady on his feet throughout the later rounds.
Even in the 10th and final round, Diaz at times turned away from Paul and put both hands on the top rope, and shook his head derisively at Paul.
The win was Paul's third against a former UFC champion. He beat Tyron Woodley with a one-punch knockout in December 2021 and Anderson Silva in a unanimous decision last September.
Earlier in the night, Amanda Serrano beat Heather Hardy in a gruelling fight by unanimous decision (99-91, 100-90, 100-90) to retain her undisputed featherweight titles.
Serrano controlled most of the match and landed nearly twice as many punches on her opponent, on average, in the opening six rounds.
Hardy was cleared to continue in the ninth after her swollen face was examined and dug deep at the end of the round. The pair touched gloves at the start of the 10th and final round as they went for a knockout in the final two minutes. Neither fighter landed the decisive blow and they embraced immediately after the match.
"Heather is a hell of a fighter," said Serrano. "She's as tough as they come. We knew that. Who gets kicked in the face and still wants to fight. So, I love Heather."
Also on Saturday, Shadasia Green overcame Olivia Curry by unanimous decision 99-91, 100-90, 100-89.
It means Green could fight undisputed super-middleweight champion Savannah Marshall next, as the American is the WBC mandatory challenger.
