Jorge Masvidal was a sizable betting favorite in his boxing rematch against Nate Diaz.
Those early odds did not come as much of a surprise to anyone in the combat sports community, considering Masvidal stopped Diaz at UFC 244. But it may have been Jake Paul’s commanding performance over Diaz when the former UFC welterweight made his “sweet science” debut last summer that had bookies backing “Gamebred.”
“This was a different Nate Diaz,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel (transcribed by Farah Hannoun). “When you look at Nate Diaz and the way that he performed against Jake Paul, I thought it was going to be a bad night for Nate Diaz, but I was wrong. He came in motivated, in-shape, and super aggressive from the very get-go. Jake Paul was lucky because the Diaz that showed up against Jake Paul was not the Diaz that showed up for Jorge Masvidal.”
Diaz was dropped by Paul en route to a decision loss in summer 2023.
Bisping went on to express that the individual they witnessed in the fight was not the same person they knew before. The fighter’s demeanor and attitude had changed significantly. They appeared indifferent and lacked the usual determination. It was evident that they had underestimated their opponent, specifically Jake Paul, who is known for his dedication to his craft. Bisping emphasized that this lack of respect and underestimation was solely Nate Diaz’s responsibility and not Jake Paul’s. However, he believed that this experience would serve as a valuable lesson for Diaz, ultimately acting as a wake-up call.
And perhaps a new lease on his combat sports career.
