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      Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz tale of the tape: How YouTube star and UFC icon compare ahead of huge boxing fight

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      JAKE PAUL returns to settle a score with Nate Diaz in his next fight. The YouTube star is coming off the first defeat in his seven-bout prizefighting career, losing a split-decision to Tommy Fury in February.

      But Paul decided against invoking his rematch clause to instead welcome Diaz to the boxing ring on August 5 in Texas.
      The bad blood has been brewing and will come to a head in Dallas, as SunSport runs down how the rivals compare.
      Diaz, 37, spent 15 years in the UFC, becoming a beloved cult hero alongside his brother Nick, 39.
      He shot to fame following his March 2016 upset over Conor McGregor but went on to lose the thrilling rematch five months later.
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      A trilogy with McGregor, 34, has failed to materialise and Diaz walked out on the UFC last year when his contract expired.
      He crosses over to boxing with a storied 35 MMA bouts, winning 22 and losing 13, with 18 combined stoppages in the cage.
      Diaz is a jujitsu specialist with a boxing base, having sparred American legend Andre Ward during his prime.
      Paul, 26, meanwhile is still a relative novice, having only made his professional debut in 2020 following one exhibition win.
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      But during that three-year period, he racked up six wins, four by knockout, while facing three ex-MMA champions.
      Paul KO’d Ben Askren, 38, in April 2021, before twice beating former UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley, 40, that year.
      He outpointed Woodley and won the rematch by KO while a year later bettering UFC icon Anderson Silva, 47, over eight rounds.
      But when stepping up against a recognised boxer for the first time in Fury, 23, Paul was beaten on points in Saudi Arabia.
      He had the option for a rematch or a bitter grudge match against online rival KSI, 29, but Diaz was instead selected.
      Diaz was at Paul’s October 2022 win over Silva and their opposing teams clashed backstage.
      A war of words had ensued both before and after the incident, leading to an expected score-settling showdown.
      Jake Paul was beaten by Tommy Fury on pointsCredit: GETTY
      Nate Diaz beat Tony Ferguson in his final UFC fightCredit: GETTY
      Paul is one inch taller than Diaz at 6ft 1in, and will take a natural size advanatage into the fight.
      He weighed a career-lowest (13st 1lb) before losing to Fury, having largely boxed at 190lb.
      Meanwhile, Diaz fought most of his UFC career in the 155lb lightweight division (11st).
      But he finished his career at 170lb (12st 1lb) as a welterweight, including his finale win against Tony Ferguson, 39.
      Paul will meet Diaz at a 185lb catchweight, over eight rounds.
      He has gone that distance three times before, against Woodley, Silva and Fury, losing just the once.
      Diaz, known for his conditioning, only went the full five-round UFC distance three times during his career.
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      And with only five KOs to his name, Paul will be the bigger puncher of the two.
      Diaz is by far the more experienced fighter, but Paul’s prior wins over MMA stars show it can matter little when the cage is swapped for the ring.
      Tyron Woodley was brutally knocked out by Jake Paul in their rematchCredit: Getty More

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      Jake Paul announces huge fight with UFC legend on August 5 as star snubs Tommy Fury rematch

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      JAKE PAUL has snubbed a rematch with Tommy Fury and instead confirmed a bumper showdown with Nate Diaz.The Problem Child suffered the first defeat of his career following a split-decision in February to the Love Island star.
      Jake Paul will next be in action in August in a bumper boxing boutCredit: Getty
      He will face UFC legend Nate Diaz, who will make his pro boxing debutCredit: Getty
      The YouTuber declared that he wanted a rematch with the Brit – but now he has announced another huge clash.
      He will now be facing UFC icon Diaz in a 185lb catchweight bout at the American Airlines Center on August 5th in Dallas, Texas.
      The ‘Stockton Slugger’ was a free agent after his contract with Dana White’s MMA promotion ended and now he is swapping the octagon for the boxing ring.
      And Paul cannot wait to get it on with Diaz after years of bad blood and public jabs between them.
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      The 26-year-old said: “My last fight didn’t end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations.
      “Now, the world thinks I am vulnerable, when all I am is more focused than ever. My team wanted me to take an easy fight like KSI next, but that’s not how I am built.
      “Nate Diaz is considered one of the most bad-ass fighters of all time, but he and his team have been running their mouths for too long.”
      Paul, who is 6-1 in the ring, continued: “People tell me Nate has been training with Andre Ward for years. That he has insane stamina. That he refuses to back down. Good for f***ing Nate.
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      “I haven’t forgotten about the slap backstage in Arizona, and on August 5, a Problem Child is going to piece up and knock out the Stockton G.”
      Diaz beat Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September in the last fight of his deal with the MMA company.
      Boxing has been a staple throughout the 37-year-old Diaz’s near two-decade career.
      He has 22 fights as an MMA pro, including a victory over Conor McGregor.
      Diaz said: “Besides Canelo he’s the biggest thing in boxing. I’m here to conquer that. I’m the King of combat sports and then I’m headed back to get my UFC belts.
      “I f***ed up Conor for acting out and now here I am again, like a Super Hero of the Real Fight game, the King of the Real Fight game.”
      Meanwhile, Fury has been linked with a fight against One Direction’s Liam Payne after losing out on a money-spinning rematch with Paul. More

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      UFC legend Georges St-Pierre reveals talks to fight Floyd Mayweather but says boxing legend must accept mixed-rules bout

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      GEORGES ST-PIERRE has revealed talks to fight Floyd Mayweather – but will only do so in a mixed-rules bout.Mayweather officially retired in 2017 after beating UFC superstar Conor McGregor in ten rounds.
      Georges St-Pierre has revealed talks to fight Floyd MayweatherCredit: Getty
      Floyd Mayweather has had six exhibition bouts since officially retiringCredit: AFP
      But the boxing icon has continued to fight in exhibitions, against stars of the MMA and social media world.
      Now UFC legend St-Pierre, 41, is the latest to be linked with a bout against Mayweather, 45.
      But the Canadian refuses to be restricted to using just his hands as he demanded a hybrid fight with kicks or takedowns included.
      St-Pierre told TSN: “The biggest name in boxing came up to me, to fight me in boxing.
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      “I told him, ‘For me it’s a question of honour, it’s not of money. You cannot buy me.’
      “They asked me to box the biggest boxer of our time. I said to them, ‘It’s either you let me use my legs or the takedown!’
      “I’m like well it’s one or the other, I’m not going to fight the best boxer for money.
      “For me, if they want to fight me, they have to accept my terms. There needs to be a fair compromise, 50-50 compromise.”
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      St-Pierre has not fought since 2017 when he beat Michael Bisping and retired two years later when talks to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov collapsed.
      He was in line to face boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya in 2021 but was prohibited due to his UFC contract still being active.
      GSP’s deal is now up, meaning he is free to fight in either boxing or MMA again and has refused to rule out a return.
      Meanwhile, Mayweather made his UK boxing debut in February dominating reality TV star-turned boxer Aaron Chalmers, 35, over eight rounds.
      Aaron Chalmers faced Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition boutCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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      Jake Paul opens door to fighting Muhammad Ali’s grandsons Nico and Biaggio in two-bout boxing and MMA deal

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      JAKE PAUL has opened the door to fighting Muhammad Ali’s grandsons Nico and Biaggio in both the ring and cage.Nico Ali Walsh is an 8-0 middleweight boxing prospect, while Biaggio is making his name in MMA with the Professional Fighters League.
      Jake Paul is open to fighting Muhammad Ali’s grandson’sCredit: AFP
      Nico Ali Walsh is 8-0 as a boxerCredit: EPA
      YouTuber-turned prizefighter Paul recently signed for the PFL and is set to debut with the promotion in 2024.
      The American lived streamed a PFL 2 watch along on Wade Plemons’ YouTube channel and was asked about fighting both Nico and Biaggio.
      Plemons proposed a two-bout deal which would see Paul face Nico in boxing and Biaggio in MMA.
      To which he replied: “Just erase them all, I’m down.”
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      Paul, 26, suffered defeat for the first time in his career in February, losing a split-decision to Tommy Fury, 23, in Saudi Arabia.
      The social media sensation claimed he attempted talks to fight Nico, 22, in the past but was rebuffed.
      And Nico admitted the bout is not on his radar at this stage.
      He said: “I’ve been asked that a few times, I would say for me personally right now that’s not something I’d be intersted in.
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      “I want to make a career for myself, continue my grandfather’s legacy in boxing and carve my own path as well.
      “No disrespect to him, but once you fight someone in the category you often get categorised as that type of fighter.
      “I have a hard time as it is as proving myself as a real boxer and I haven’t fought a YouTuber or anything like that.
      “I want to stick with fighting boxers and getting to a title one day.”
      Biaggio, 24, also talked down the possibility of welcoming Paul to the cage – knocking out hopes of the double MMA and boxing deal.
      He said: “Nico fights at 162 and I fight at 155, I have no problem with Jake Paul but he should fight someone his own size.
      “I don’t know why he is trying to fight people smaller than him. He fought at cruiserweight in boxing so fight at the same weight in MMA.
      “He’s a lot bigger than me, I don’t know why he’s trying to fight someone smaller than him.
      “Fight someone your own size, I don’t understand it.”
      Biaggio Ali Walsh is a 3-1 amateur MMA starCredit: Professional Fighters League More

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      Watch Muhammad Ali’s grandson Biaggio score KO to improve MMA record as PFL star vows to create his own legacy in cage

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      MUHAMMAD ALI’S grandson Biaggio added another first-round knockout to improve his MMA record. The lightweight prospect is still an amateur but is signed to The Professional Fighters League, MMA’s only seasonal format.
      Muhammad Ali’s grandson Biaggio knocks out Isaiah FigueroaCredit: Professional Fighters League

      Biaggio returned to the cage in Las Vegas for his fourth bout, facing Isaiah Figueroa in front of a raucous home crowd.
      And the 24-year-old lived up to the hype as he closed the show inside four minutes to score his third straight first-round KO.
      The American landed a string of right hands, forcing Figueroa to retreat and cover up with his back against the cage.
      But after a barrage of punches came in, the referee was left with no choice but to step in, improving Biaggio’s record to 3-1.
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      The ever-improving prospect continues to live up to his iconic grandfather’s name – but is out to be remembered on his own merit.
      He said: “Every single fighter in the world wants to make their own name, their own legacy.
      “I’m doing the exact same thing I’m just like any fighter I just have a famous grandfather that’s the only difference.
      “With that, I get a little bit more pressure, a little bit more attention as well but what happens in the cage is what really matters.”
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      Biaggio last year signed with the PFL, which consists of qualifying and knockout stages, with two regular season bouts and play-offs.
      Points are earned per method of victory in the opening two fights with the top four in each weight progressing into the semi-finals. 
      From there, it is victory-or-go-home culminating in a winner-take-all finale fight where a title belt and $1million cheque lays in wait. 
      But Biaggio – not yet pro – features as a special attraction on PFL undercards as he looks to learn his craft with the eyes of the world watching.
      Biaggio Ali Walsh improves to 3-1 in MMACredit: Professional Fighters League More

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      I’m Muhammad Ali’s grandson and I gave up on NFL dream to pursue MMA with the PFL… but here’s why I’m NOT a boxer

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      BIAGGO ALI WALSH is the latest fighter from his legendary bloodline – having given up on his dream of playing in the NFL to pursue MMA. The 2-1 amateur prospect is the brother to rising 8-0 boxing star Nico and most notably a grandson of Muhammad Ali. 
      Muhammad Ali with grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh
      Biaggio was a talented American football player
      He is now signed to the Professional Fighters League
      But a fighting career was never initially Biaggo’s goal as he instead planned to go all the way on the American football field. 
      Biaggio got a scholarship to play in California but the staff he already committed to got fired before he even joined. 
      And after moving back to Las Vegas in hope of getting another scholarship, he found game time hard to come by. 
      By this time, Biaggio had started training in MMA and his NFL hopes had been KOd by the 2019 season.
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      At 21, he decided to focus on MMA and after the coronavirus lockdown gave him nothing else to do but train, a new passion had been discovered. 
      Biaggio, 24, told SunSport: “When everything shut down, that’s when I started training in my garage. 
      “My brother was actually helping me out a lot too, he’d hold pads for me and show me certain things he knows with boxing. 
      “But then when the gyms opened back up that’s when I started training again and that’s pretty much the journey.” 
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      His grandfather is remembered as not only The Greatest in the boxing ring but also a sporting icon worldwide. 
      Ali’s daughter Laila, who is Biaggio’s aunt, was a two-weight unbeaten world champion while Biaggio’s brother Nico, 22, is currently making strides in the middleweight division. 
      But despite being surrounded by boxing since birth, it was MMA that intrigued Biaggio the most. 
      He revealed: “It grabbed my attention since high school.
      “I enjoyed MMA, I enjoyed that there are multiple martial arts that can play a part in a fight. 
      “It’s just something that I enjoyed. Even when I was playing football, I was in the garage practising kicks and stuff. It was just something that I enjoyed to watch. 
      “Boxing too, I grew up watching boxing, I’ve been around boxing my whole life but there was something about MMA that I just really liked because there was multiple martial arts. 
      “There are multiple ways to win or lose, there’s an endless amount of possibilities in MMA and that really intrigues me.” 
      Ali sadly died in 2016 at 74 after battling idiopathic Parkinson disease but left an ever-lasting mark on the sport. 
      Muhammad Ali sadly died in 2016
      Biaggio says Muhammad Ali would have been a fan of MMA
      The heavyweight great was a huge admirer of martial arts pioneer Bruce Lee and Biaggio believes his grandfather would have loved modern-day MMA. 
      He said: “I definitely think he would have been a fan, for sure. Especially around 2015 or 2016 when McGregor was at his peak. 
      “Conor brought so many people’s eyes to the sport and he was so entertaining to watch, to see him talk and he was all about bringing the views and that was what my grandfather was about. 
      “I feel like if he would have tuned in around that time, he would really have become a huge fan.” 
      Biaggio has been signed by the Professional Fighters League, where stars compete in qualifying and knockout stages for a $1million prize and belt, but he will only appear in the prime-time undercard slot as he is not a pro.
      Despite the prospect still learning his craft in the amateur lightweight ranks, his surname bears a super-heavy weight. 
      Biaggio said: “I’ve had that target on my back since high school, I’m definitely prepared for it.
      “When people found out, regardless of the sport we’re in, we’re always going to have a target on our back. 
      Biaggio is currently a 2-1 amateur fighter
      Biaggio took up MMA after leaving behind his NFL dreams
      “If I was playing baseball it would be, ‘I’m going to strike out Muhammad Ali’s grandson.’ 
      “Obviously, because both me and my brother are in combat sports, it’s a little bit more pressure because my grandfather fought as well. 
      “But, for me in order to deal with that pressure I just normalise everything, I try to dumb down everything. 
      “So if it’s a big stage I try to make the stage small, mentally in my head, I like to think, ‘This is just a fight.’ 
      “Whether people are in the audience putting pressure on me or not, I’ve still got to fight this guy in a cage, so I like to normalise everything.” 
      Biaggio returns on Saturday night in Las Vegas in the PFL’s season opener and will do so with eyes of the fight world on him. 
      He said: “I’m so beyond grateful to have this platform as an amateur, I’m still a baby in the game.
      “I’m 24 years old, I’m an amateur fighter fighting in the PFL on that stage. 
      “That is ten years of experience, because a lot of pro fighters don’t get the chance to fight on that stage, on ESPN. 
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      “So for me as an amateur so early on in my career to have that kind of stage, it’s priceless experience and I’m super blessed.
      “Because five years down the line when I turn pro, I’m going to already be used to it.” 
      Biaggio returns to the PFL cage on SaturdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      UFC chief Dana White claimed rapper 50 Cent kick-started negotiations for Conor McGregor’s fight with Floyd Mayweather

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      RAPPER 50 Cent kick-started the negotiations for Floyd Mayweather to fight UFC legend Conor McGregor.The two mavericks met in a blockbuster crossover bout in August 2017, with Money Mayweather winning by 10th round stoppage.
      50 Cent kick-started the negotiations for Floyd Mayweather to fight Conor McGregorCredit: Getty – Contributor
      UFC boss Dana White helped promote the 2017 crossover eventCredit: USA TODAY Sports
      It marked an end to months of build-up and trash-talking between the pair, with the event gripping both fighting codes.
      But UFC president Dana White revealed a chance meeting with 50 Cent – a long-time friend of Mayweather’s – was the catalyst for the super-fight taking place.
      White told ESPN: “When the demand is there. I felt the demand for McGregor vs Mayweather, felt it, I knew it would be big, so we started talking.
      “I bumped into 50 Cent in New York, and he said, ‘Floyd wants to fight your boy.’ I said, ‘My boy who?’
      “He’s like, ‘The Irish kid.’ And I’m like, ‘He’ll kill him,’ because I’m thinking MMA.
      “He said, ‘We’ll box him.’ I said, ‘You guys are crazy.’
      “He said, ‘He’s serious. I’ll call him right now.’

      “And then that’s how it all really got started. And then everywhere I went, it was all anybody asked me about.
      “Then once I started to really feel it, that’s when I started to take it serious, and I made an offer.”
      After Mayweather beat McGregor on the Irishman’s boxing debut he officially retired from the sport.
      He returned at the end of 2018 for an exhibition bout against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in Tokyo.
      The now 46-year-old announced he was ‘coming out of retirement in 2020’ to work on a ‘spectacular event’ with White in 2021.
      UFC boss White revealed: “We both started talking. The easiest way to explain it to you is Floyd and I both feel that we add value to each other, and we’re going to figure something out.
      “Some things have to play out, and then I’m going to start talking to [Mayweather’s advisor Al] Haymon maybe this summer and then I’ll have something for Floyd in the fall.
      “We can do some crossover stuff here or we can do something in boxing.
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      “Our last experience, Floyd was actually pretty easy to deal with. Haymon is incredible to deal with.
      “Floyd and I got a handshake deal at the basketball game, and we’ll get the rest figured out.”
      However, since that claiom Mayweather has fought exhibitions against Logan Paul, Don Moore, Mikuru Asakura, Deji Olatunji and most recently Aaron Chalmers at the O2 Arena in London.
      Mayweather claimed he is coming out of retirement to work with WhiteCredit: Splash News More

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      Muhammad Ali’s grandson follows in footsteps as MMA star debuts in Las Vegas over 40 years after icon’s last title fight

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      BIAGGIO ALI WALSH debuts in Las Vegas over 40 years after his grandad’s last title fight – and does so ready to leave a mark of his own.The lightweight amateur MMA prospect, 24, heads into his second bout with the Professional Fighters League on Friday.
      Biaggio Ali Walsh is the grandson of Muhammad Ali
      Muhammad Ali lost to Larry Holmes in 1980Credit: Getty – Contributor
      But it will be his first in Vegas, where his grandfather Muhammad Ali found so much success.
      It was at the Caesars Palace in 1980 that Ali last challenged for the heavyweight title – losing to Larry Holmes.
      And over four decades later, grandson Biaggio works security shifts at the famous hotel, daydreaming of following in his grandad’s footsteps.
      He said: “I work at Caesars Palace, I work at one of the nightclubs out there.
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      “When I’m there, sometimes it crosses my mind like, ‘Wow, my grandfather fought here. It’s a very historical place in the boxing world.
      “Sometimes I do feel that. Vegas is obviously the fight capital of the world, it’s my hometown, it’s where I grew up.
      “I was born in Chicago but I moved here when I was six. So I grew up here in Vegas and to be able to fight in Vegas is awesome.
      “I didn’t think it would come this soon, I thought to myself, ‘When can I fight in Vegas? When can my friends and my local co-workers even come to my fights?’
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      “And it’s happening now, so I’m super grateful, super blessed that I get to have this opportunity so soon.”
      Biaggio – whose 22-year-old brother Nico is an unbeaten boxer – signed to the PFL last year.
      The promotion is MMA’s only seasonal format, consisting of qualification and knockout rounds.
      Points are earned per method of victory and the top four in each division progress into the last four stages.
      From there it is win-or-go-home, culminating in a finale fight with a $1million cheque and title belt on the line.
      Biaggio, not yet a professional, has hopes to one day enter the league but for now focuses on justifying his prime-time undercard spot.
      He said: “There’s a lot of pro fighters that don’t get this kind of opportunity.
      “So yeah, of course that pressure is there but I am looking to show people that I do have talent, I am born for this.
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      “So yeah, I do have something to prove but what makes diamonds is pressure. So bring on all the pressure in the world, I don’t care.”
      Biaggio Ali Walsh with Muhammad Ali
      Biaggio Ali Walsh is signed by the PFLCredit: Getty Images – Getty More