The Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal boxing fight ended up delivering much more than the Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal fight in the UFC. Including a different result.
Diaz defeated Masvidal via majority decision, avenging his TKO loss in the Octagon at UFC 244.
Given the dubious stories of MMA fighters turned boxers, we can at least say the fight was entertaining. Diaz opened the first round with a series of punches, some of them landing, while Masvidal was more patient and regularly landed punishing combinations.
Diaz showed off his chin, eating powerful punches from Masvidal, and his charisma. He smiled, danced a few times and even walked away from Masvidal mid-round.
Perhaps most impressive was Diaz’s cardio, with 740 total punches in 10 rounds. Masvidal, however, surpassed him in both total punches (182) and power punches (152). Fans had to wait until after 10pm local time at the Honda Center in Anaheim for the two to come out, but they definitely looked like they got their money’s worth.
Diaz’s victory was also a victory for his former rival Conor McGregor. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion said he bet half a million dollars on the Stockton native to take care of business.
I decided to bet $500,000 on Diaz to win tonight’s boxing match. Range, form, experience, just his hands being used, I can’t imagine Masvidal causing any problems for Nate in a boxing ring. They both play like idiots a little in a fight, they play with nonsense, but I…
-Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 6, 2024
The fight was a rematch from the two fighters’ time in the UFC, when the two faced each other for the inaugural ‘BMF’ belt. Diaz specifically called out Masvidal after defeating Anthony Pettis at UFC 241, leading to a showdown at UFC 244 that saw Masvidal defeat Diaz via TKO. It was an anticlimactic ending, with a doctor stopping the fight due to a cut over Diaz’s eye.
It was the last victory of Masvidal’s MMA career.
Both fighters came into this fight after long MMA careers that didn’t exactly end with either of them at the top of their game. Masvidal, famous for having the quickest knockout in UFC history, has lost his last four fights with the promotion, while Diaz has been a sporadic presence at best following his rematch with Conor McGregor.
Both still held considerable prestige in MMA circles, especially in their respective home states of California and Florida. A boxing match was a natural step for each, although Diaz got an early start with his lucrative loss to Jake Paul.
Despite their similar career paths, there was no love lost in the lead-up to Saturday. A fight broke out at a press conference last monthwhile Diaz continued to show his characteristic disregard for seemingly all proceedings that did not directly involve his entering the ring.
