Jake Paul and Nate Diaz have officially agreed to a 10-round boxing match set to take place on August 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, responsible for overseeing the bout, confirmed the extension to MMA Hook following an initial announcement from Paul on social media.
Initially scheduled for 8 rounds at 185 pounds, there was some debate between the fighters regarding the number of rounds. Paul later revealed that Diaz and his team had requested the fight to be extended to 10 rounds, a request he gladly accepted. Diaz subsequently tweeted, stating that he was content with 8 rounds.
Ultimately, the commission overseeing the fight approved the request, and now Paul vs. Diaz is officially slated for 10 rounds.
Paul acknowledged the advantage this brings to Diaz in later rounds and expressed his indifference towards it in a tweet, writing, “10 rounds, if the fight goes to the later rounds, it’s obviously a big advantage for Nate. I know that, he knows that (that’s why he made the request), the oddsmakers know that. But I don’t give a f***. I’m all in.”
This will be a first for Paul, who has previously fought mainly 8-round matches in his professional boxing career. Out of those eight-round fights, he has gone to decision three times, securing victories against Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, while experiencing a loss to Tommy Fury in his most recent bout in February.
For Diaz, this marks his debut as a professional boxer after an illustrious career primarily spent competing in the UFC. Following his last victory over Tony Ferguson, Diaz opted for free agency instead of renewing his contract with the UFC. This decision led him to establish his own promotion called Real Fight Inc. and subsequently sign a deal to face Paul in a boxing match in August. Both Diaz’s Real Fight Inc. and Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions will serve as co-promoters for the event.
The Paul vs. Diaz fight will be broadcast live on DAZN pay-per-view on August 5, with the additional undercard fights yet to be determined.