It took nearly five years, but Nate Diaz got his revenge on Jorge Masvidal in the professional boxing ring on Saturday.
Diaz defeated Masvidal via majority decision in a 10-round match at the pay-per-view event held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Of the three judges who scored the fight, two scored it in favor of Diaz with scores of 98-92 and 97-93. The third judge scored it a tie at 95-95.
The win avenged Diaz’s third-round TKO loss in November 2019, when the two met in the UFC’s first BMF title fight. Masvidal won after a physician ruled Diaz could no longer compete because of the cut; Diaz disagreed. After Saturday’s win, Diaz sought two more rematches, against Jake Paul, who beat him in boxing last year, and UFC champion Leon Edwards.
“I’m going to beat Jake Paul bad and I’m ready to fight the highest-level boxers,” Diaz said. “My main goal is to be the best fighter in the world, so I want to go back and get a UFC title. (UFC welterweight champion) Leon Edwards, Jake Paul and anybody else, you’re dead.”
Masvidal, 39, who retired from MMA in April but has already hinted at a possible return, said he disagreed with the scorecards and demanded a third fight against Diaz.
“I thought I won,” Masvidal said. “I thought I hit more powerful shots. We can do it again, we’re tied 1-1. We’ll find a spot and do it again.”
It was a classic performance from Diaz, as he easily outclassed Masvidal with volume throughout the 175-pound fight. Masvidal landed the harder shots, but Diaz’s infamous chin held up beautifully, and his speed was a weapon for him all night. At times, he laughed and turned his back to Masvidal, and the two continued to trade punches until the final bell.
The event aired on DAZN and was co-promoted by Diaz’s Real Fight Inc. and Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing. It featured other well-known names from the combat sports world, including former UFC champion Anthony Pettis, who lost to Diaz’s longtime partner Chris Avila.
