Jake Paul wants to settle his differences with Nate Diaz after his upcoming match with Anderson Silva.
The YouTube sensation-turned-boxer is set to take on legendary mixed martial artist Silva on Oct. 22 in what many consider to be his toughest test to date. Paul started his boxing journey by competing against fellow influencers and athletes from other sports. In his brief time as a professional, Paul scored a brutal knockout over former MMA champion Ben Askren and another vicious knockout of former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.
Jake Paul wants to settle his beef with Nate Diaz after the Anderson Silva fight
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Paul talked about the idea of fighting Diaz, without looking past Silva.
“I would be surprised if he actually was a free agent,” Paul said. “I feel like Dana (White) has a way of tying these guys in, like hidden into the contract. That’s just how I feel about it, I don’t know if it’s true or not. But yeah, if he can actually become a free agent then I think that’s a cool fight. I would love to do that. I’m not overlooking Anderson Silva, but there’s beef between Nate Diaz and I.”
Paul believes he’s facing serious competition now
‘The Problem Child’ has faced criticism from the combat sports community, who have a tough time accepting his legitimacy as a boxer. He believes a win over Silva and a potential showdown with Diaz could earn him the credentials he wants.
“He’s a big name. He went out with a bang, had an electric performance, and people are saying, ‘Oh, you’re fighting these retired MMA fighters.’ No I’m not. Anderson never retired and Nate Diaz left winning and he’s one of the baddest men on the planet. So what about fighting an active UFC fighter? What now? So that’s why I think that fight is interesting. Hopefully I get through Anderson, and hopefully Nate Diaz can get out of his contract and we’ll see if that makes sense.”
Diaz is currently in an exclusive three-month negotiation period with the UFC after completing the last fight on his contract against Tony Ferguson last month. While he has indicated no plans to re-sign, it remains to be seen where his future lay.
