Nate Diaz is sidestepping the Octagon for the boxing ring…
In a rematch of a marquee UFC headliner, the 38-year-old half Mexican American mixed martial artist and boxer will fight Jorge Masvidal again, this time in a boxing ring on June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.
The two fought in MMA in the UFC 244 main event on November 2, 2019 at Madison Square Garden, for the mythical BMF title. Masvidal won that bout via TKO (doctor’s stoppage).
Diaz vs. Masvidal is contracted for 10 rounds at 175 pounds.
The event, distributed by Fanmio, will be dubbed “Last Man Standing.” A multicity promotional tour is being planned.
Diaz and Masvidal, two of the UFC’s biggest stars of this era, have since departed the promotion, Diaz as a free agent and Masvidal via retirement.
The UFC approved Masvidal to take this fight, as he is still under contract. Diaz and Masvidal have been involved in three of the top 10 UFC pay-per-view events of all time.
Diaz made his pro boxing debut last August in a decision loss to YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul. Diaz went into that bout with an arm injury.
This will be Masvidal’s return to competition after retiring in April 2023 following a UFC loss to Gilbert Burns.
Masvidal beat Diaz in the fourth round at UFC 244 when the ringside physician halted the bout because of a Diaz cut. That is an impetus for the rematch. There is unfinished business; Masvidal wants to remove all doubt, while Diaz is out for revenge.
“Nate’s a dead man walking,” Masvidal said in a statement. “I can’t wait to prove that last time was no fluke. He got saved by the referee. Now we are boxing, which he says is his forte, but he’s got no shot at beating me. I’m not going to give him an inch in that ring to even breathe. If he thought our MMA match was bad, this is going to be much worse. I’m going to drown him. I want to put away any talk that him and I are the same, or that the referee saved the day. All of that talk ends June 1. Violence and throwing hands are in both of our bloods but as I proved before, I’m a far superior athlete and I’m a meaner fighter. When June 1 comes I’ll put all unanswered questions to rest, live for the world to see.”
Fanmio has distributed big combat sports events before, including Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul in 2021.
“When we started our journey into boxing, we wanted to bring only the most entertaining fights together that would help transcend the world of combat sports,” Solomon Engel, Fanmio CEO, said in a statement. “Being able to put together the Diaz vs. Masvidal rematch in the boxing ring is in line with that vision. These guys are the original and true BMFs, have continuously sold out arenas and sold millions of pay-per-views. June 1 gives each the opportunity to write a new chapter in their storied history, settle their score and show the world who will be the last man standing.”