DALLAS — YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and MMA fighting icon Nate Diaz will fight in Dallas this fall.
Yes, you read that correctly: It's official.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP; founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian) and Real Fight Inc. (Real Fight; founded by Diaz) jointly announced Wednesday that Paul and Diaz would fight at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday, August 5.
The fight will be distributed and co-produced globally by DAZN PPV and made available on all devices, platforms, cable, and satellite PPV providers around the world, officials said in a press release.
“My last fight didn’t end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations. Now, the world thinks I am vulnerable, when all I am is more focused than ever," Paul said in the release. "My team wanted me to take an easy fight like KSI next, but that’s not how I am built. Nate Diaz is considered one of the most badass fighters of all time, but he and his team have been running their mouths for too long.”
Paul and Diaz have verbally jabbed at each other over the past 18 months, as Paul had accrued a 6-1 boxing record, including four knockouts. This is Diaz's first ever boxing match of his career, but he is well-established in the UFC octagon, boasting a 22-13-0 record.
“Besides Canelo [Paul is] the biggest thang in boxing. I’m here to conquer that. I’m the King of combat sports and then I’m headed back to get my UFC belts,” said Diaz. “I f----- up Conor for acting out and now here I am again, like a Super Hero of the Real Fight game, the King of the Real Fight game.”
The entourages of Diaz and Paul allegedly got into an altercation before Paul's fight against UFC legend Anderson Silva. The incident was captured on video and spread on the Internet.
“We are thrilled to host the highly anticipated Paul vs. Diaz fight at American Airlines Center on August 5th” said Dave Brown, Chief Operating Officer & General Manager of American Airlines Center. “Dallas provides the perfect location to reach a massive audience and showcase the most exciting boxing match scheduled for this summer.”
Fans can sign up for pre-sale access to tickets online here.
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