Ranking every Jake Paul boxing win so far [UPDATED]
2. Nate Diaz - Aug. 5, 2023
After suffering the first defeat of his professional career at the hands of Tommy Fury in February 2023, Jake Paul decided to rebound against one of MMA’s most popular practitioners, Nate Diaz.
Similar to past opponents, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, Diaz would be making his professional boxing debut. However, what separated Diaz from Woodley and Askren is the prevailing perception that the Stockton, California native had some boxing experience training in various gyms in his home state.
There seemed to be some genuine animosity between the two, and with Diaz’s propensity to be willing to trade at almost any point, the fight held anticipation from both boxing and MMA fans alike.
With a 12-year age gap, Paul wasted no time testing his opponent’s chin as he unloaded a barrage of punches on Diaz throughout the first round. Diaz would show his resiliency by not only surviving but continually taking on the aggressor role in most rounds.
In the fifth round, Paul scored a knockdown with a counter left hook that caught Diaz off balance as he was attempting to land a punch on the inside. Diaz looked just as surprised as hurt but would continue each round as if nothing happened.
In the final rounds of the match, Diaz would find himself pushing Paul back, throwing punches in combination. But, due to inexperience, most of Diaz’s blows weren’t thrown with proper boxing technique. Thus, they were reduced to being mostly arm punches, having little impact on the social media star.
Having to go 10 rounds for the first time seemingly had just as much effect on Paul as Diaz did. Paul would have his hands raised with a unanimous decision victory with scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92.
Following the match, Paul and Diaz stated that they may have a rematch under MMA rules in the near future. Paul is arguably the most divisive figure in the combat sports world. A large segment of fans tune in to see him lose. A second bout under a different rule set could be bigger than the first.