Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy believe that Nate Diaz could have an advantage against Jorge Masvidal in an upcoming boxing bout if he maintains his aggressive, pressure fighting style.
Diaz is scheduled to face Masvidal this Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The highly anticipated rematch between the former UFC stars will be at light heavyweight and will be slated for 10 rounds.
The two first collided in the Octagon at UFC 244 in November 2019, when Masvidal defeated Diaz by TKO in the fourth round to win the inaugural BMF title. Masvidal dominated the first three rounds with relentless striking, leaving Diaz with a deep cut above his eye and a bloody face.
Although both fighters were eager to continue, the Octagon-side doctor stopped the bout shortly after the third round due to the severity of Diaz's injury.
As Masvidal prepares to make his professional debut in the ring, the Stockton native's next bout will come in his second year of boxing. Last August, Diaz faced Jake Paul but lost by unanimous decision in a fairly one-sided bout.
Diaz recently admitted he did very little preparation before his bout with “The Problem Child,” but according to Thomson and McCarthy, the former UFC lightweight champion has now shown unwavering dedication and preparation for his bout with Masvidal…
Thompson and McCarthy believe Diaz's aggressive approach is the key to beating Masvidal
In a recent episode Weighing in During the podcast, Thompson and McCarthy analyzed the boxing rematch between Diaz and Masvidal, and “The Punk,” who defeated Diaz by TKO in the Octagon, emphasized that the Californian should use his trademark forward pressure to hurt Masvidal early, which could be the difference between winning and losing the bout.
“Nate Diaz is just a tough guy when he can put pressure on him like he did when he was younger,” Thompson said. “Like I said, if he can start the fight early, I think reach is going to be a big factor…If he wants to have a chance to win this fight, he's got to start early.”
Veteran MMA referee agreed with Thomson's analysis and shared inside information about Diaz's training camp. He said he's heard that Diaz is in great shape and performing well in sparring sessions. In contrast, “Gamebred” has limited training sessions due to the demands of fight promotion, which could affect his performance.
“I know Nate's been training,” McCarthy said. “I've heard he's doing really well. His boxing is back to where it was. I think the outcome is pretty clear.”
