Jake Paul and Nate Diaz will get six more potential minutes to punch each other in the face.
Scheduled to square off on Aug. 5, 2023, in Dallas, Tx., Paul vs. Diaz was originally set to consist of eight three-minute rounds. The pair’s first pre-fight press conference last month (May 9, 2023) stirred up banter regarding 10 rounds as opposed to eight for the boxing match, which both men were open to.
A change has officially been made to the 185-pound match up as of today (Tues., June 20, 2023). Paul initially revealed the news on Twitter before being confirmed by Ariel Helwani and Most Valuable Promotions.
“10 rounds. If the fight goes to the later rounds, it’s obviously a big advantage for Nate,” Paul said. “I know that, he knows that (that’s why he made the request), the oddsmakers know that. But I don’t give a fuck. I’m all in.”
“Jake Paul x Nathan Diaz is officially a 10-round fight,” Helwani tweeted. “First 10-round fight of Paul’s boxing career. Diaz’s team has confirmed that they have signed off on this, as well. Aug. 5.”
Diaz initially challenged Paul at the aforementioned presser with the idea of adding two more rounds to the match, which Paul accepted and ultimately made a reality. As the discussions warmed up, Diaz did Diaz things and backtracked by saying he’s “good with eight.”
As mentioned by Helwani, none of Paul’s eight matches have been scheduled for 10 rounds with only three having gone the eight-round distance. The first saw Paul defeat Tyron Woodley via a split decision before an Anderson Silva unanimous decision win (watch highlights) and the last and most recent resulted in his first and only career loss to Tommy Fury by split decision (watch highlights).
The match for Diaz is his professional boxing debut, but in his 34-fight mixed martial arts (MMA) career, he’s fought to 14 decisions, winning four of them. Only three were in five five-minute round fights and Diaz suffered defeat in each,
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This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
