Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz May Happen In A Boxing Ring This March (???)
Here's some bizarre news outta the combat sports world this week: rumors are swirling that Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz II is booked, and the fight will happen in the BOXING RING, not the cage - and it could happen as soon as March!
HappyPunch were the first to report this, stating that the UFC has given it the green light....
(The UFC has to give the green light because Masvidal retired with multiple fights left on his contract)
....and looking back, Jake Paul clearly tried to spoil the announcement when Jorge Masvidal tweeted that he was "Unretired" on New Year's Day....
Side note: I don't know what to think about Jake Paul/Jorge Masvidal's relationship. They seemed cool with each other when they podcasted together (and even did a skit where they made it look like a fight was about to break out) but here's Jake calling him out, and Jorge was just saying he'd "break" Jake Paul in a fight recently. Maybe they're just trying to build a rivalry before they inevitably box one day….but I digress.
If this news is true, and Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz II is a go for March in the squared circle….unfortunately I think it's a fight nobody asked for coming to fruition. The first fight between these guys was all the way back in November of 2019 at UFC 244, and it wasn't particularly close. Masvidal put a real bad whooping on Diaz before a doctor stepped in and called an end to the very first BMF Championship bout due to some bad cuts near Nate's right eye.
Steven Ryan. Getty Images.
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Diaz had his moments in that fight, like he always does, but he was just clearly a step behind Masvidal the whole night.
There's really no reason to believe it'd go any differently almost five years later, except putting it in the boxing ring will just make it less fun to watch. That's not to say I always think MMA is more entertaining than boxing (which I do), but who on earth would prefer to watch two MMA fighters box rather than just fighting? The most famous moment of Masvidal's career is a flying knee and the most famous moment of Diaz's career is a rear naked-choke; these guys aren't necessarily known as the guardians of the sweet science. We want to watch them utilize every weapon in their respective arsenals.
All of that being said - I like both of these guys, and I would probably wind up watching this fight for shits and giggles, if only to contribute to making sure they get the bag for this. They've both provided me with more than enough entertainment to justify my PPV purchase in that sense.
I just wish they'd get back in the octagon if they want to do a rematch. It'd be the perfect "legends fight" for a card like UFC 300.