In 2019, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal met within the UFC Octagon for the primary battle for the ceremonial “BMF” title. On Saturday, the pair meet once more, although this time in a boxing match on the Honda Heart in Anaheim, California.
It is a unusual battle, to make sure, with two males who made their bones as fan favorites within the cage deciding to fulfill within the boxing ring now that neither are underneath UFC contract. That is the second time each males have boxed professionally, with Masvidal getting a win in 2005 and Diaz struggling a 2023 determination loss to Jake Paul.
Diaz and Masvidal have appeared disinterested in selling the battle throughout a multi-city media tour, with Diaz being particularly immune to speaking up the battle. That lack of hype modified a bit when the 2 groups engaged in a brawl at a June 6 press convention after Diaz tried to stroll out early.
Masvidal’s boxing coach Jorge Capetillo was attacked in the course of the state of affairs, which has left Masvidal steaming.
“Solely factor I’ve ever delivered to fight sports activities is violence and just a little approach. That is how I get my hand raised,” Masvidal stated on the closing press convention.
“I take each battle with the identical quantity of warning and respect. Whoever I am combating additionally has two fingers. On a private degree, yeah I do not just like the dude for what occurred on the final press convention. On July 6 he is getting it. After that, coaching camp went from a boxing setting to a kill setting. That is all I need to do.”
Masvidal thrashed Diaz of their UFC assembly, scoring a TKO by way of physician’s stoppage after the third spherical. These outcomes will not instantly translate to boxing and its totally different ruleset however they may play into the psychological video games within the ring.
“I simply really feel like over time, I am getting sharper. I am all the time working and enhancing,” Diaz stated on the closing press convention. “I’ll do what I all the time do. I am right here for the enjoyable and I am right here for the enterprise. I am right here to get the job executed.”
Let’s take a better take a look at the remainder of the battle card with the newest odds earlier than attending to a prediction and decide on the primary occasion.
Diaz vs. Masvidal battle card, odds
- Jorge Masvidal -225 vs. Nate Diaz +210, gentle heavyweights
- Daniel Jacobs vs. Shane Mosley Jr., tremendous middleweights
- Amado Vargas vs. Sean Garcia, lightweights
- Chris Avila vs. Anthony Pettis, gentle heavyweights
- Devin Cushing vs. Manuel Correa, lightweights
- Alan Sanchez vs. Luis Lopez, welterweights
- Kenneth Lopez vs. Andres Martinez, tremendous middleweights
- Curmel Moton vs. Nikolai Buzolin, lightweights
- Jose Aguayo vs. Bryce Logan, welterweights
- Steven Dunn vs. Gabriel Aguilar Costa, heavyweights
- Luciano Ramos vs. Dan Hernandez, junior welterweights
Viewing data
- Date: July 6 | Location: Honda Heart — Anaheim, California
- Begin time: 9 p.m. ET
- watch: DAZN PPV, PPV.com | Value: $49.99
Prediction
In most methods, it is anybody’s guess how a battle that includes two MMA fighters will play out within the boxing ring. Probably the most direct data now we have on the boxing talents of both man come from Diaz’s loss to Paul. Paul clearly gained the battle and dropped Diaz within the fifth spherical, however Diaz tried to make use of his trademark strain and cardio strategy to throw Paul off his sport.
Diaz, by no means identified in MMA for sheer energy, did not seem to have a variety of sting on his punches in larger boxing gloves. This might be to Masvidal’s benefit because the extra highly effective puncher. Masvidal additionally got here to MMA by way of a streetfighting background and is snug buying and selling fingers.
Whereas something may occur, Masvidal is a favourite for a purpose and ought to be a bit tighter in his sport to edge out a win on the playing cards. Decide: Jorge Masvidal by way of UD