Share
3rd August 2023
09:01am BST
Jake Paul has finally been left with nothing to say.
The Problem Child was left with his head in his hands after Nate Diaz bailed on their face-to-face interview, while Paul was praising him for putting on some of "the greatest fights in the history of the MMA".
Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer whose only loss has come via Tommy Fury, is set to face Diaz Saturday over eight rounds at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Diaz, who has a 22-13 record, has been criticised for his lack of promotion ahead of the bout, something he didn't help by walking out of his interview with Paul.
A teaser clip for the interview, released Thursday, shows Paul giving credit to his opponent before Diaz decides he's heard enough.
"He's a warrior, he's put on some of the greatest fights in the history of MMA. He has an amazing fanbase, obviously people love him for a reason and I know he's coming to bring a war," Paul, who beat fellow UFC great Anderson Silva in October 2022, said.
"That's what he says 'Ready for f****ng war'. I think the fans are the ones who get to win the most out of all of this because we both don't want to lose and back down," Paul explained.
At this point, Diaz stood up and insisted he would "be right back", but he didn't return.
Diaz has defended not doing his part to promote the fight, saying his professional record speaks for itself. The fighter has previously told how he was set to start a career in boxing as a teenager, but a cage fight came up first.
Paul, forever the showman, has filled the void.
Paul has enjoyed entertaining build-ups in his latest fights against Fury and Tyron Woodley, something he is disappointed that Diaz has refused to engage in.
"For my own pleasure, I like to fight people where it's rowdy because it's more entertaining for the fans. It's not as fun if there's not as much s*** talk and funny moments leading up to the fight. That's why I do this, for my own joy and passion for this game. So it is disappointing for myself," Paul said.
"Nate has a massive name, he is a massive pay-per-view draw of UFC times. To me that's exciting because I haven't fought a massive pay-per-view draw in the prime of their career when they're still hot and active. There was this beef and online banter back and forth that we've been trying and wanting to fight for a long time."
In a documentary about his life released on Netflix this week, Paul revealed he was physically abused by his dad when he was growing up.
He claims his dad, Greg Paul, would slap him when he was growing up.
Entertainment - JOE.co.uk | Joe.co.uk
entertainment
