feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

The last time Nate Diaz shared a ring with Jake Paul, it ended in a sold-out arena in Dallas in 2023, scorecards reading 97-92, 98-91, 98-91 against him, and Paul crowing about beating a UFC legend in just his eighth pro bout. Diaz, who made his boxing debut that night, absorbed an early knockdown, marched forward as only he can, and left with the respect of even his rival. “He’s real tough,” Paul admitted afterward, praising Diaz’s durability. But while Paul left with the win, Diaz left with unfinished business.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Since then, the boxing landscape has morphed into something stranger. Jake is now preparing for a November exhibition with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. Logan Paul is a WWE star. And Diaz? He’s been watching all of it, and now, he’s lit the fuse again, and this time, his target list looks a little longer!

Watch What’s Trending Now!

In a recent post on X, Diaz sounded fired up, defiant, and ready to throw down again. “I was injured in this fight,” he wrote, revisiting that 2023 loss. “But they trippin I still won this fight. Its all good tho most people don’t know sh– about boxing ill get it back on the both the paul sisters see u f— soon.”

ADVERTISEMENT

And if you know the Stockton legend, you know that wasn’t a typo. It was a shot. The comment also points back to something Nate Diaz has repeated ever since that first bout: he wasn’t at 100%. He openly revealed after the fight that he had injured his arm in training, something his coach said affected his jab. Yet Diaz still walked forward, still rallied late, and still joked about catching Jake Paul with a guillotine in the closing seconds just to prove a point!

ADVERTISEMENT

In fact, this isn’t the first time Diaz has questioned the Paul era of boxing. He recently weighed in on Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis clash, stating, “I don’t got anybody [as the favorite for the fight]. It’s just [a mismatch]. I don’t want to beat up somebody that small. I don’t want to lose either. There’s no point in that fight. It’s a great fight actually. I am not hating on that fight. My thoughts on it is let’s watch and see what happens.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Then came the kicker: he agreed with Ryan Garcia that boxing is starting to look like WWE with these kinds of matchups. So now the question becomes: are the Paul brothers ready to face the storm that is Nate Diaz? Well, if they’re not, there’s one recently retired UFC star who’s also thrown his hat in the ring to secure a matchup against the Stockton native!

Dustin Poirier is ready to come out of retirement for “12 rounds” against Nate Diaz

Retirement doesn’t always mean silence in combat sports, especially when unfinished business whispers loud enough! And Dustin Poirier, who walked away from MMA in July after UFC 318, has made it clear he’s not fully closing the door just yet. But here’s the twist: his potential comeback wouldn’t happen inside the Octagon. Instead, ‘The Diamond’ has his sights set on the boxing ring, and only one opponent fits the bill.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Louisiana native hung up the gloves after falling to Max Holloway in their BMF trilogy, telling the New Orleans crowd he was done. Yet Poirier jumped on X and wrote the kind of message that makes fight fans lean forward. “Zuffa Boxing [12 rounds], me and Nathaniel I’d do it,” he posted. “Only 1 more fight I’d take.” Nathaniel, of course, being Nate Diaz.

These two nearly clashed in the UFC multiple times, only for timing, schedules, and chaos to derail it. Poirier didn’t hide how he felt about that, calling Diaz “the one that got away.” Now, with Zuffa Boxing officially launching 12 events per year on Paramount+ starting in 2026, the door is wide open for a fan-favorite crossover bout.

ADVERTISEMENT

As such, Nate Diaz has positioned himself right back at the center of the combat-sports circus, and he did it in classic Stockton fashion, with a single tweet aimed at “both the Paul sisters.” So what happens next? Does Diaz run it back with Jake, settle a score with Logan, or give Poirier the matchup that eluded both their UFC careers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Dushyant Patni

2,473 Articles

Dushyant Patni is a Senior UFC Writer at EssentiallySports, bringing over eight years of diverse writing experience and a Master’s in English Literature to the fight game. For the past two years, he has been a key figure at the ES Fight Night Desk, covering live MMA action with a sharp eye for subtle in-round details that often escape casual viewers. A lifelong combat sports enthusiast, Dushyant’s passion spans boxing, Bruce Lee’s martial arts philosophy, PRIDE FC’s golden era, and modern-day UFC.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Sowmya Anantharaman

ADVERTISEMENT