Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has strongly discouraged Nate Diaz from engaging in a boxing match with Jake Paul.
Bisping, 45, is a huge fan of Diaz. But he thinks Paul is too large for Diaz. Diaz is an undersized welterweight (170lbs) while Paul competed at 190lbs and 205lbs.
Diaz someone Bisping respects, but he wonders if he has what it takes to beat Paul, a natural cruiserweight, in the ring.
Bisping made a statement on his YouTube Channel saying,
“While the majority of Nate Diaz’s fights happened at 155, he was a lightweight then he went up to welterweight, 170-pounds, and he went 5-5.”
“The only knockout that he got was against Rory Markham in 2010.” He said.
“Listen, with boxing gloves on, I don’t think it will be a good idea for Nate Diaz. Nate Diaz was a tremendous mixed martial artist. He beat some phenomenal people, had a tremendous career. He lost some fights and he won a lot of fights.”
“The jiu-jitsu would be gone, the kicking game is gone, the general craftsmanship and the gameplans and the adversity of attacks, punches, kicks, knees, elbows, strangles, chokeholds, triangles, takedowns, you name it.”
He continued. “That’s what Diaz could do. Those are the advantages he’d have over a Jake Paul.”
Diaz didn’t take too kindly to these claims and hit back at Bisping posting on social media:
Diaz posted the image of Bisping being KO’d by his former rival Dan Henderson at UFC 100, whilst writing: “The only fight I ever saw by this goofy f*****. Don’t hate me cause you ain’t me MB.”
Diaz wound up deleting the tweet later.