NATE DIAZ looked like he was “DYING” in training to fight Jake Paul – his sparring partner worryingly claimed.
Diaz makes his professional boxing debut on August 5 in Texas against YouTuber-turned prizefighter Paul.
And in preparation for the pay-per-view bout he sparred with Robert Garcia-trained middleweight Esquiva Falcao.
But 30–0 Falcao – an Olympic and world champion amateur boxer from Brazil – was less than impressed by Diaz.
He said in a social media video: “At first I thought he was tired, and in the end it looked like he was dying.
“His fighting style is crazy. You look at him and say, ‘Oh, he’s tired,’ and then we started sparring.
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“Robert told me in the second round, ‘He’s tired already, hold back a little bit and keep the rhythm so he does at least 10 rounds.’
“I held back and kept boxing, and we did 12 rounds. He was tired but taking punches and throwing, too.
“[He] is bad, [he] is bad, but since he’s too heavy – he’s overweight, probably around 220lbs or more – and I’m the only big guy in the gym, I had to do it. But I liked doing it.”
Diaz, 38, walked out on the UFC last year in pursuit of a lucrative switch to boxing.
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And Paul, 26, snubbed a rematch with Tommy Fury, 24, to face the MMA veteran despite his loss in their celebrity grudge match.
The American has beaten three ex-UFC stars in the past, Ben Askren, 38, Tyron Woodley, 41, and Anderson Silva, 48.
And Paul is expecting to add Diaz to that list as he revealed his prediction for the bout.
He said: “I think he’s gonna be sharp for a couple of rounds but there’s nothing he can do to stop me.
“I’m faster, I’m stronger. I’m the better boxer. “He’s gonna be coming forward. He doesn’t have head movement.
“He’s trying to pressure me. He’s gonna get diced up. I see it ending in four rounds or less.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
