Fight fans may end up seeing a boxing match between former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Nate Diaz and social media star Logan Paul, but Diaz first needs to accept a very sweet deal.
This is according to Paul who sat down with BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani earlier this week. Paul had previously revealed that a matchup with a very known fighter had fallen apart, but fight fans didn’t know who that was until now.
According to Paul, the deal was very close to being finalized. He believed they extended a good enough offer for Diaz to accept, but the Stockton native isn’t giving in (just yet).
“I think he’s running. This guy, I think he’s ducking,” Paul told BT Sport. “We have the sweetest deal for him and he knows the type of numbers I bring in. I’m not a quarter of a million [pay-per-view buys] type of fighter, you’re going to get 750,000 [to a] million buys, and I’m an 0-1 YouTuber. Seems like an easy fight on paper.
“It’s Nate Diaz.”
Paul, who last competed in an eight-round exhibition match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in 2021, was surprised to learn that Diaz wasn’t going to agree to the matchup. Both fighters bring eyes to the sport of boxing and a potential clash would most certainly produced north of 500,000 pay-per-view (PPV) buys.
“I don’t even care anymore,” Paul said. “I thought I had something locked in, but apparently he said the fight was off. Like, why? Why? So he could fight someone else? For what purpose? To get less buys, and maybe an easier fight? I don’t get it.
“As far as I know, it’s not dead because we had to f—king offer him more money. It’s like we’re baiting this guy into fighting me. It’s hard for me to get a fight because either you’re not worth my time and energy, or you’re not going to sell pay-per-views. I’ll do it, but I need a dance partner. And I don’t need a tune-up fight, give me the real dogs. Nate Diaz is a dog. I was looking forward to that fight, then I got a call the other day and they said they didn’t want to do it. It was almost done. I don’t know.”
Paul is unsure what will come next, but he still has respect for Diaz and his big brother, Nick. The social media star is finding out the hard way that dealing with Diaz is no walk in the park, but it seems like a logical matchup on paper. Only time will tell if the two sides can agree on terms.
“Let’s recount the facts: You have an extremely healthy deal on the table with the person that, by far, will sell you the most pay-per-views of any dance partner that you decide to go with, and I’m an 0-1 YouTuber,” Paul explained. “Why would you back out of that?
“I think he’s great, I think it would be a great fight. People would want to see that fight. He’s tough as hell, obviously an MMA legend, can move the needle. I’m just hyper ambitious, a little delusional, and can kind of box.”
What say you, fight fans? Would you pay up for Diaz vs. Paul?
Let us know in the comments below!