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Boxing

01st Apr 2022

Chael Sonnen tells Jake Paul home truths about Nate Diaz

Luke Jennings

Jake Paul

“Jake Paul could really use Nate Diaz right now.”

Chael Sonnen has warned Jake Paul that Nate Diaz needs to re-establish himself as a pay-per-view star if they are to earn a bumper purse from fighting each other.

Paul (5-0-0 boxing record) took part in a rematch against Tyron Woodley in December, after Tommy Fury pulled out of the initial fight through injury.

‘The Problem Child’ knocked out Woodley in the fifth round in Tampa, Florida.

Jake Paul

Nate Diaz’s situation.

Diaz has has one fight left on his UFC contract, and Paul has been targeting a bout against the former lightweight title contender when he returns to the ring in August.

Diaz (21-13-0 MMA record) has never boxed professionally before. Thus far, all of Paul’s opponents have made their professional boxing debuts against him.

Paul wants to fight the 36-year-old due to him being a pay-per-view star and his links to Conor McGregor. A fight with the Irishman has been a long-term goal for Paul, and beating Diaz would bring him one step closer to that dream becoming a reality.

Jake Paul

Chael Sonnen’s take on Jake Paul versus Diaz.

Sonnen emphasised Jake Paul’s need for Nate Diaz due to the rumoured poor numbers the rematch between Paul versus Woodley produced.

The 44-year-old warned Paul not to go into “panic mode” over one bad night financially. He then asked the question, who of Diaz and Paul needs each other more?

Sonnen corrected himself by looking at the monumental 2021 Paul had when he headlined three boxing cards in comparison to Diaz’s one co-main event loss to Leon Edwards.

Jake Paul

“Jake Paul could really use Nate Diaz right now,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel.

“Having one bad night isn’t enough to go into absolute panic mode. But having a bad night in the world of pay-per-view; it’s a problem. One bad night is a problem. When it does come down to the question of, ‘Who needs who more?’

“I don’t know if that was a completely fair question. May of last year? August of last year? I think that Jake Paul was the bigger star. And that’s a huge compliment I’m giving him.”

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