TAMPA — Jake Paul still expresses interest in a rematch with Nate Diaz under mixed martial arts rules, but the offer may not be as appealing now that Diaz is embroiled in his own legal battles.
Diaz filed a lawsuit against Juanmio on Monday, claiming the company owes him $9 million for his recent boxing bout with Jorge Masvidal. Despite Paul and PFL founder Don Davis openly offering Diaz $15 million for an MMA rematch between the former UFC superstar and Paul inside the PFL cage, Diaz chose to fight Masvidal.
Now that it's clear that Diaz's payday for facing Masvidal was far different than advertised, Paul can't help but chuckle at Diaz's decision-making process.
“I think the Nate Diaz and Masvidal lawsuits show how stupid these guys are,” Paul said Wednesday at an open workout for his bout with BKFC star Mike Perry. “This is not an easy business. Boxing isn't easy. Selling pay-per-views isn't easy. If someone gives you a big guarantee, it's most likely a scam. Nate Diaz should have accepted my $15 million MMA offer, but yesterday's price is not today's price. So now he needs the money and the offer has dropped. And I'm still in favor of facing Nate Diaz in the PFL.”
Paul defeated Diaz in a boxing match in August 2023, winning a one-sided unanimous decision over the mixed martial arts star in Diaz's professional boxing debut.
In January 2023, Paul and the PFL announced a partnership to hold Paul's upcoming MMA bouts under the PFL promotional banner. While Paul remains committed to boxing first and foremost – he's set to face heavyweight legend Mike Tyson on Nov. 15 after his deal with Perry closes on Saturday – the 27-year-old reiterated his desire to eventually make his MMA debut with the PFL. All he needs is the right dance partner.
“If my opponent, or my opponents, want to sign me to a contract, I think I'll move to MMA. That's who I'd like to face in my first MMA fight,” Paul said. “If it's a name like Nate Diaz, I'd be interested in fighting Mike Perry. But I want to do MMA. I love it. I've got a wrestling background and I think it's really exciting.”
Check out Paul's full open workout scrum above.
