UFC Icon Daniel Cormier Grimly Predicts Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Boxing Fight
Former two-division champion and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier doesn’t expect the upcoming boxing match between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz to be especially competitive.
Masvidal’s recent announcement that he had “unretired” less than a year after hanging up his gloves at UFC 287 immediately sparked fan speculation that the former title challenger might return to the UFC, but instead “Gamebred” will make his boxing debut against Diaz later this year.
The two fan favorites already met in the main event of UFC 244 when Masvidal claimed the inaugural BMF title via doctor’s stoppage after the third round, and Cormier believes that fight told fans all they need to know about how the two men will match up in the boxing ring.
Masvidal bested Diaz when the pair headlined UFC 244.
(Sarah Stier/USA TODAY Sports)
“Even in the mixed martial arts fight, we kind of had the idea that Masvidal would be the better striker,” Cormier said on DC & RC. “Nate was the better wrestler, the better grappler, and Masvidal dominated that. So now you’re telling me you’re gonna now limit Nate Diaz to fighting Jorge in the only area that we felt that he held the advantage going into fight one? Yeah, I don’t anticipate it going very well for my boy Nate Diaz.”
If Diaz does hold any sort of advantage heading into his second meeting with Masvidal it’s that he already made his own boxing debut last year against Jake Paul, although the 38-year-old did lose a clear unanimous decision to “The Problem Child” in that outing.
Some fans suggested that Masvidal could also be eyeing a matchup with Paul after he ended his short-lived retirement, and perhaps if “Gamebred” is able to collect a second win against Diaz the two-time UFC title challenger will decide to continue plying his trade in the boxing ring.
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