As Jake Paul gears up to take on MMA star Nate Diaz in a boxing match on August 5, he’s already setting his sights on a potentially more lucrative fight against another UFC legend: Conor McGregor.
‘I want Conor next after that,’ Paul said Tuesday at a press conference promoting his eight-round fight with Diaz in Dallas. ‘It’s inevitable.’
Paul was responding to a reporter’s question about McGregor, who predicted that Diaz would be victorious on August 5. Diaz and McGregor fought twice in the Octagon in 2016, with each fighter winning once.
‘I think he’s got trauma from when Nate slapped his head off,’ Paul said of McGregor’s prediction.
The former YouTuber-turned-boxer is coming off his first defeat in the sport – a split-decision loss to Tommy Fury in February – but that hasn’t curtailed Paul’s ambition in the ring, or his desire to continue promoting himself.
🗣 "It's inevitable" – @JakePaul on fighting @TheNotoriousMMA 👀#PaulDiaz pic.twitter.com/JP1RAU3l3d
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 9, 2023
Jake Paul likened Nate Diaz’s mental to state to that of a stuffed, windup monkey
Nate Diaz criticized organizers for failing to invite fans to Tuesday’s press conference in Dallas
Diaz (left) split a pair of MMA bouts with UFC legend Conor McGregor (right) in 2016
Entering his eighth pro boxing match, Paul is better known as a promoter, but that didn’t stop Diaz from taking the Cleveland native to task on Tuesday in Dallas.
‘I don’t know where all the f****** people are?’ Diaz asked during the press conference, wondering why fans weren’t allowed in the arena. ‘We don’t have no normal people for the press conference? We should have a hundred normal people in here. This is a f******* sketch-ass press conference. F****** rookie-ass press conference.’
Paul responded by wondering why Diaz didn’t voice any concerns before the press conference.
‘You know you’re the one putting on the event?’
‘Yeah, I do know,’ Diaz muttered back. ‘I thought you would have it together by now. You fighting the big shows.’
Paul snapped back: ‘So you mad at your team?’
Diaz denied being angry with his representatives, instead demanding: ‘Next time, mother f******, fill this mother*****.’
This was about as professional as Tuesday’s press conference would get.
One blogger and aspiring boxer threatened to beat up Diaz’s brother (‘If he’s anything like you, I think I’ll beat his f****** ass’), while Paul brought a windup cymbal-banging monkey toy to belittle the California native’s mental state.
‘I think this is what’s going on in Nate’s brain,’ Paul said after winding up the monkey.
Both fighters predicted victory, with Paul saying he’ll win in four rounds and Diaz saying he’ll win in 10.
MMA star Diaz was seen choking Rodney Peterson in a New Orleans street fight last week
Nate Diaz turned himself into New Orleans police following his street fight with Peterson
Rodney Peterson showed off the nasty head wound he received from the altercation
‘Well it’s an eight-round fight,’ Paul was quick to point out.
No subject was out of bounds at Tuesday’s presser, including Diaz’s recent arrest for a street fight in New Orleans against an MMA star, Rodney Peterson, who looks similar to Paul’s brother, Logan.
‘You gonna act like that wasn’t Logan?’ Diaz laughed. ‘It is Loga, what are you talking about?’
The 185-pound bout is scheduled for August 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
