SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO: MMA veteran Jorge Masvidal continues to exude unshakable confidence as he sets his sights on the social media sensation turned boxer, Jake Paul.
Despite Paul's relatively recent foray into the professional boxing world in 2020, he has managed to secure victories over several MMA fighters.
Paul's list of conquests in the ring includes notable names from the MMA world, with a particular focus on those who have previously competed in the UFC, much like Masvidal himself.
One of Paul's recent triumphs came in the form of a ten-round unanimous decision victory over MMA star Nate Diaz, a fighter whom Masvidal famously defeated during their UFC encounter.
Jorge Masvidal takes on MMA fighter turned boxer Jake Paul
Masvidal, who is known for his ferocious fighting style and street-smart approach, isn't one to mince words.
As he assesses the growing trend of MMA fighters transitioning to professional boxing, including Paul, Masvidal is not easily impressed.
In an interview with ESPN MMA, Masvidal shared his candid thoughts, stating, "I feel like these guys ain't boxers, man."
He continued, "And I feel like they're not me. From a businessman's point of view, these guys are not what would stop me from competing."
"With these guys I would have a very good night and I'm hearing those numbers that got thrown around and made," he added.
Masvidal continued, "I'm like 'man, I'll throw my hat, my name in that lottery pool that mish mash'. I don't know what's going on with this influencer."
"They call it boxing, but these guys ain't boxing. I get it if you don't have the skillset and you started late in life I get that but at least you've got to have the will," he said.
Regarding Paul's recent victory over Diaz, Masvidal was far from impressed. He remarked, "You've got to be mean, you've got to come to fight, and you've got to be beating people up."
He continued, "I feel like in that last fight, I didn't see either of those things, skill or will."
Masvidal expressed his readiness to take on both Diaz and Paul on the same day, suggesting that such matchups might finally offered a competitive challenge worthy of his abilities.
Masvidal aims to prove that true fighters possess not only the skill but also the will to dominate the competition.
Jake Paul claims Nate Diaz turned down $10 million rematch in MMA after boxing bout
Paul alleged that Diaz declined a lucrative $10M offer for a rematch in MMA. This unexpected twist comes in the wake of their boxing clash in August, which concluded with Paul's victory.
Per TMZ Sports, Paul said, "We're at the drawing board right now. Nate Diaz ducked the $10 million offer, so he's not the badass that everyone said he was."
Paul's initial intention was to transition from boxing to MMA, a move that would have set a unique precedent in combat sports.
However, Diaz's decision to decline the offer has left fans and pundits speculating about the reasons behind it.
Some speculated that Diaz may have had reservations about his abilities in a different discipline, given the outcome of their boxing encounter.
