Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen has remarked that Jake Paul could benefit greatly at this point in his young career from a boxing match with MMA veteran Nate Diaz.
Jake Paul’s rapid rise to fame in the combat sports world has been nothing short of astronomical. Formerly a YouTuber whose primary content consisted of blog-like videos, ‘The Problem Child’ made the move to pro boxing in 2020. He has since put together a record of 5-0, including wins over former UFC welterweights Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren.
However, Jake Paul’s most recent fight, a short notice rematch with Woodley, reportedly struggled to match the extremely high PPV buy rates his previous events had generated. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen had the following to say on the matter:
“Jake Paul could really use Nate Diaz right now. Having one bad night isn’t enough to go into absolute panic mode. But having a bad night in the world of pay-per-view; it’s a problem. One bad night is a problem.”
Sonnen added that “When it does come down to the question of, ‘Who needs who more?’ I don’t know if that was a completely fair question. May of last year? August of last year? I think that Jake Paul was the bigger star. And that’s a huge compliment I’m giving him. Nate Diaz is a very personal friend of mine, so if I’m saying that Jake Paul is a bigger star than my own friend – You see what? I think there’s an accuracy. I don’t know that that’s still true.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda).
Is Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz a realistic option?
From the outside, a fight between Nate Diaz and Jake Paul seems like a completely bizarre pairing. In 2016, Nate Diaz was handing Conor McGregor his first loss inside the UFC, whilst Jake Paul was preparing for a YouTube feud with his older brother Logan, that would materialize in the form of a series of back and forth ‘diss” tracks.
However, in 2022, Nate Diaz has been vocal about his desire to be released from the UFC so he can pursue money fights in outside of MMA. Right now, Jake Paul may well provide one of the most lucrative bouts for a high-profile former UFC fighter to take in the world of boxing. Diaz has already proven he is able to sell a fight to the masses, as well as his ability to perform under the bright lights.
As mentioned by Sonnen, this would be mutually beneficial for both men. Paul is in need of a fight to re-introduce himself to the masses, and taking on an opponent such as Nate Diaz, who has one of the most loyal followings in all combat sports, would be ‘The Problem Childs’ ideal ticket back into the mainstream limelight.
Would you like to see Jake Paul take on Nate Diaz in the boxing ring?