The Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal fight didn’t do as well as the fighters and the organizers thought it would. At least, that’s what wrestling and MMA journalist Dave Meltzer says! The UFC veterans chose to avoid the octagon and step into the squared circle for their much-anticipated rematch on 6th July at Honda Center, in Anaheim.

The duo originally fought in UFC 244, where Masvidal took the cake via a 3rd round knockout. But the opposite happened in the boxing ring as Diaz won the fight via majority decision. Over ten days later, during the popular Observer Radio segment of his podcast, Meltzer claimed the boxing match had done horrible pay-per-view numbers.

Nate Diaz vs. George Masvidal did worse than TNA

Yes, it was a little unconventional for Diaz to fight Masvidal inside a boxing wing, mainly because their fan base is in the MMA community. But big pay cheques can convince any one, right? Regardless, speaking about the fight, Meltzer said, “It did horrible on PPV, it did TNA numbers. I’m not exaggerating”.

It’s worth mentioning that TNA did 66,000 buys (22,400 at air-time) on TV and streaming in January for their Hard To Kill event at Paradise, Nevada. However, those pay-per-view numbers took a sharp downturn in April for the Rebellion event at the same location, with 500 TV buys at air-time. 

Regardless, Maltzer further added, “I knew it would not do well, but I was absolutely stunned how poorly it did. Nobody bought the fight. People are sick of seeing MMA fighters do #BOXING”. While Maltzer is hinting at devastating pay-per-view sales, the crowd that attended the fight at Honda Center, Anaheim, didn’t reflect that. 

If a report from Forbes is to be believed, the fight was viewed live by a packed, loud, and spirited crowd of 18,040 people. It seemed like a commercial success that could open up new and more lucrative opportunities for Diaz. But hold up! ‘The Stockton Slap’ has found himself in some issues with the payout from this fight.

Nate Diaz files lawsuit against Fanmio promoter

As it turns out, Maltzer’s claim might be absolutely true! On Monday, TMZ Sports reported that Nate Diaz has filed a lawsuit against Solomon Engel and his company, Fanmio, as the promoter has failed to pay him the $9 million pay cheque following his bout against ‘Game Bred’ less than two weeks ago. 

According to the report, Diaz recounted how Engel informed him that payment was withheld due to his inability to meet Engel’s lofty profit expectations. The lawsuit further implies that Engel’s failure to compensate the UFC veteran, as per their agreed terms, stemmed from fears that his wife would leave him over the financial setbacks incurred.

With that said, the Nate Diaz vs. George Masvidal fight’s PPV sales numbers, while not made public yet, don’t seem to be that good! It not only puts Diaz’s future in boxing in a tough spot, but also he now has to fight his promoter in court to get his money. Do you think Diaz vs. Masvidal did that badly?