EDDIE HEARN has mocked Jake Paul’s fight with Nate Diaz – branding it an “awful” display of boxing.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer returned to the win column with a unanimous decision victory over the former UFC star earlier this month.
Paul, 26, dropped MMA legend Diaz in the fifth round on his way to picking up his seventh professional victory, although the knockdown did little to impress Hearn.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour, the Matchroom Boxing chief said of the fight: “It was awful.
“Don’t get me wrong, the event was unbelievable. You did a great job.
“Brilliant. But when you’re talking about — you know MMA like the back of your hand.
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“I know boxing like the back of my hand, and I’m watching that like [face in his hands], ‘This is so bad.’”
Problem Child Paul has aspirations of eventually challenging for a world title, something Hearn believes is the ultimate pipe dream.
He said: “We have something in the U.K. called an area title, which is in a specific radius — it’s kind of like a state title.
“These guys wouldn’t win a state title – that’s the level they’re fighting at.
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“But listen, props to Nate. He definitely didn’t have ability, but what he did have was grit.
“But Jake just doesn’t have the ability or the experience to break someone down and stop them. And I was convinced he would.”
Paul lamented his failure to stop Diaz, who has only ever been finished once in MMA.
But Hearn doesn’t believe he had the skill-set to stop the fight inside the distance.
He said: “The reason that Nate didn’t get stopped is that Jake didn’t have the ability.
“He doesn’t know how to break a fighter down, cut off the ring, beat him up, and stop him.
“But I give my props to Nate: super tough. Super tough. But you’re talking about low, low level in terms of standard.”
Paul is expected to return to the ring later this year, although there currently isn’t a frontrunner to be his ninth professional opponent.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
