Jake Paul returns to the ring on Saturday for the first time since suffering the first loss of his boxing career, a split decision against Tommy Fury back in February. That was Paul’s first fight against a conventional boxer. Before that, he had victories over former UFC fighters Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren, as well as wins against former NBA player Nate Robinson and social media personality Ali Eson Gib.
Paul (6-1, 4 KOs), the YouTuber-turned-boxer, is going back to basics and will fight another former UFC fighter in Nate Diaz.
Diaz is making his professional boxing debut, but during his UFC career he trained and sparred with former two-division champion Andre Ward, who retired with an undefeated record and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021. Diaz’s boxing skills are superb and he’s a southpaw.
Can Paul recover from the loss? Is his powerful right hand enough to overcome Diaz’s relentlessness and toughness? What should he be looking for against Diaz? And can Diaz avoid Paul’s power and take the fight to the end?
Two-division champion, member of the IBHOF and current ESPN boxing analyst Timothy Bradley Jr. breaks down the matchup and picks the winner.
