Jake Paul may be fighting for his career.
The bloom came off the rose when “The Problem Child” was defeated by a wet dream Tommy Fury in their pay-per-view (PPV) headliner earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, but the blonde bomber has a chance to redeem himself on Aug. 5 in Dallas against former UFC welterweight Nate Diaz, one of the biggest names in combat sports over the last decade.
If not, the 26 year-old Paul becomes just another middling prospect.
“He may retire if he loses to Nate Diaz,” Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, told ESPN. “His boxing career is on the line, in terms of being one of the top three or four guys in the entire sport globally. I think if he was to lose, he’d just go to being another prospect that’s coming up in the ring.”
As for Diaz?
“I don’t think his place in the sport is at stake,” Bidarian added. “I just think it’s about what’s next for him and how much leverage does he have in dictating what’s next versus having to accept what’s next.”
Unlike Paul, Diaz has multiple options (including a rematch).
Paul, 6-1 with four knockouts, is no stranger to boxing UFC veterans, having secured high-profile wins over the likes of Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva. As for the 38 year-old Diaz, who will be making his “sweet science” debut against “The Problem Child,” his last appearance came in a submission victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 back in Sept. 2022.
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This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
