Jorge Masvidal seems assured and relaxed for his check towards Nate Diaz

Jorge Masvidal doesn’t flinch on the prospects of combating Nate Diaz in a boxing match. Masvidal has been there earlier than, and crushed Diaz, when the pair starred at UFC 244 on Nov. 2, 2019. Since then, each 39-year-olds have spewed a wholesome dose of venom at each other, highlighted final month by a brawl between the 2 camps over the last press convention making an attempt to construct the battle.

This Saturday on the Honda Heart in Anaheim, California, Diaz and Masvidal, two past-their-prime MMA stars, will battle in a 10-round gentle heavyweight. There will probably be actual boxers on the cardboard, with former WBA middleweight titlist Danny Jacobs fights Shane Mosley Jr. in an excellent middleweight bout, because the co-feature on Fanmio/DAZN/UFC Struggle Go PPV (9 p.m. ET).

In his one professional boxing match, Diaz misplaced to Jake Paul by unanimous determination through which he was dropped twice in August 2023. The final time Diaz gained a battle goes again to September 10, 2022, when he choked out Tony Ferguson in an MMA battle on UFC 279.

“I might care much less about Nate’s background, however anybody with two fingers, you all the time must be involved with and provides them respect,” mentioned Masvidal, who will probably be competing in boxing for the second time.

The final time he gained a battle was by beating Diaz 5 years in the past at UFC 244.

“I really feel that Diaz could be very restricted from what I noticed in his battle towards Jake Paul,” Masvidal mentioned. “What I do know is Nate could be very hard-headed. He doesn’t change. He simply comes ahead and tries to tire guys out. That is boxing, and he will probably be a par with me. July 6 will present that I’m firmly a scholar of this sport. I’m seeking to be as violent as potential. I like being sharp and intelligent which you could be in boxing. I’ll take his ass out by spherical 4. I’m excited.”

Masvidal’s first professional boxing match got here in June 2005 towards a fighter named Joseph Benjamin, who was 1-11-2 coming into the battle.

“I all the time requested UFC to field, and they might not let me and I used to be all the time bummed out about that, however ultimately, I obtained the permission,” he mentioned. “I obtained permission to battle 3 times, and as soon as I obtained that, I used to be going to take this significantly. I obtained to coach with Roy Jones Jr. for 10 days and obtained an opportunity to coach below Freddie Roach. It was wonderful. I’m dedicated to this. I skilled from night-to-day.”

The hate comes from their one MMA match. That spilled over into what occurred final month, when somebody from Diaz’s staff threw a punch at Masvidal. Then, Masvidal’s coach, Jorge Capetillo, obtained concerned and a brawl erupted between each groups. Curiously sufficient, Diaz was nowhere across the brawl.

“That is actual, and it didn’t must be like this, as a result of it began out with mutual respect,” Masvidal mentioned. “After he took his as kicking in New York, at UFC 244, when he wanted a medical skilled to avoid wasting his life, he took to the web and began saying some issues like how I used to be a coward and all these excuses. He didn’t make sense. I whooped his ass for quarter-hour. It stored coming and I used to be combating for world championships when he was out of the UFC.

“I signed up with Fanmio for boxing, it simply occurred to be towards Nate Diaz. However he needed to be excessive. His camp (allegedly) attacked my coach and I believed he was a coward. That is for Nate Diaz and his complete staff, and he pays for that. I undoubtedly will put this within the purest approach potential: I need to break his face; I need him pissing blood for a month. This won’t be Hagler-Hearns, as a result of I might not evaluate Nate Diaz to any a type of greats.

“This won’t be a battle. This will probably be an ass kicking, just like the U.S. invading Barbados.”