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“Nate Has Great Cardio and…”: Former UFC and Bellator Champ Picks Her “Favorite” for the Upcoming Nate Diaz vs Jake Paul Fight

Published 07/01/2023, 6:50 AM EDT

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As the boxing bout between Nate Diaz and Jake Paul is fast approaching, more and more fans and pros have started to declare their picks and predictions for the fight. Diaz and Paul will go to war on August 5 in Dallas in a ten-round boxing match. This will be the MMA veteran’s first pro boxing bout and Paul’s first since the loss to Tommy Fury. While Diaz has a 0-0 record, Paul boasts a 6-1 record from his boxing ventures to date. However, that was not enough to earn the backing of MMA icon Cris Cyborg.

In a recent interview, Cyborg made her picks for the upcoming Paul vs. Diaz bout. Unsurprisingly, the ex-UFC star picked her fellow MMA fighter over the influencer-boxer. Cyborg’s choice was not without merit. The Bellator women’s featherweight champion explained why she was backing Diaz over Jake Paul.

Cris Cyborg is backing Nate Diaz to beat Jake Paul

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When she was asked about her pick for Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul, Cris Cyborg said, “You know, I’m supporting Diaz because he came from MMA, going to boxing. So I’m gonna support our favorite. So I hope we get the best fights, but let’s go Nate Diaz.”

While she had unwavering support for Diaz, she did not see the ex-UFC star knocking out the much younger Paul. The 37-year-old said, “No way. Nate [Diaz] has great cardio and let’s see how it’s gonna happen. And I know Jake Paul is like athletes, likes to train, young, hungry. Let’s see what will happen. I’m very excited.”

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Diaz was in the UFC for around 15 years of his 19-year-old MMA career. He exited the promotion in 2022 after debuting in 2007. Meanwhile, Cris Cyborg was a UFC star from 2016 to 2019. During this time, she had a dominant run, losing only to Amanda Nunes before exiting the promotion with a 6-1 record.

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Cyborg stated that she would likely be present for the fight but had to communicate with her team first. The match will go down on August 5, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Initially scheduled for eight rounds, the bout will now be contested for ten rounds after a recent announcement about the stipulation change.

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Watch This StoryThe upcoming Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz showdown

What are your thoughts on Cris Cyborg’s picks? How do you think this fight will play out? Will Diaz’s cardio and endurance prove too much for Paul? Or will Paul add the veteran to his list of victims from MMA? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Yeswanth Praveen

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Yeswanth Praveen is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports, having written over 500 articles on the sport. With a Master’s degree in English Literature, Yeswanth expertly combines his writing and storytelling skills with his passion for MMA. He was initially drawn to the sport after the intense rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov captured his attention.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu