If Nate Diaz is to get a rematch against Jake Paul, it will be in the Octagon, not the boxing ring. Paul, the influencer-turned-boxer has reportedly accepted an offer from PFL (Professional Fighters League) to fight Diaz.
Paul and Diaz first met in the boxing ring in August of this year. The 10-round fight went the distance with Paul coming away with a unanimous decision victory. Paul's string of wins against former MMA fighters have led some to believe the matches are fixed, but Diaz seems adamant on gaining vengeance for his loss to the former YouTuber.
Unfortunately, there may be a few obstacles in the way of a rematch if it is to take place inside the PFL SmartCage. For starters, the 38-year-old Diaz is loyal to the UFC and previously refused to ever step into the Professional Fighters League cage. He also insisted he was only interested in a boxing rematch against Paul.
In a statement on X, Jake Paul's company Most Valuable Promotions has stated Paul will not box Diaz again. Having reportedly signed an offer from PFL, it now puts the ball in Diaz's camp's court.
Paul vs Diaz, billed as Ready 4 War, resulted in 450,000 PPV buys and generated around $27 million in revenue. It also generated $3.1 million from ticket sales.
Given the success of the first fight, both fighters have plenty of monetary motivation to meet again. If the two fighters do agree to a rematch in mixed martial arts, it will likely take place in PFL's new Super Fight Division. Co-created by Jake Paul, the Super Fight Division aims to put on massive PPV fights with the goal of offering fighters groundbreaking pay in MMA. With a "fighter-first" culture, PFL PPV Super Fights offer a 50-50 revenue partnership model for all PPV fights.
Since breaking into the fighting world, Paul has been one of the most vocal proponents for equal fighter pay. He has consistently hammered Dana White and the UFC for how little they pay their fighters.
A rematch between Paul and Diaz would surely do big numbers again. The big question now is if Diaz is willing to put his MMA reputation on the line in a fight against Paul within the PFL SmartCage.
Would you want to see a Jake Paul rematch against Nate Diaz in a mixed martial arts format or would you prefer they stick to the boxing ring?