As he gears up for his highly anticipated match against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 39, Logan Paul is also making moves in the world of combat sports outside of the WWE. The YouTube sensation-turned-boxer recently revealed that he was in talks to finalize a boxing match with one of MMA’s biggest names, Nate Diaz.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani of BT Sports, Paul explained that the fight was almost locked in, but Diaz withdrew from the bout at the last minute. Paul expressed his confusion and disappointment, suggesting that Diaz may be ducking him because he knows the type of numbers he can bring in.
Despite the setback, Paul remains hopeful that the fight with Diaz could still happen. He stated that his camp had offered Diaz more money to entice him to take the fight, and he emphasized that there is no bad blood between himself and Diaz. Paul sees the potential bout with Diaz as an opportunity to give fans what they want and to showcase his skills as a boxer.
“I thought I had something locked in and apparently he called and said the fight was off,” Paul said. “Why, so he could fight someone else? For what purpose, to get fewer buys and maybe an easier fight? I don’t get it. …I think he’s ducking because we have the sweetest deal for him and he knows the type of numbers I’ll bring in. I’m not a quarter-million pay-per-view type of fighter. You’re going to get 750,000 to a million buys.”
Diaz, who has headlined two UFC pay-per-views, is considered to be one of the best boxers in the UFC. He has a record of 21-13 as a mixed martial artist, with five wins by knockout or TKO. Diaz trains boxing with Richard Perez, and his brother, Nate, is also a skilled boxer.
Despite having just one professional fight under his belt, Paul has already made a name for himself in the world of combat sports. His bout against rapper KSI in November 2019 drew 1.78 million buys, while his exhibition match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2021 drew one million buys. Paul believes that a match with Diaz would be a major draw, and he is eager to make it happen.
