Leon Edwards favors Nate Diaz to beat Jake Paul

Former UFC fan favorite Nate Diaz is booked to face Jake Paul in a boxing match on Aug. 5 in Dallas, and welterweight champion Leon Edwards favors the Stockton brawler.

The 38-year old Diaz left the UFC and entered free agency after winning the final fight of his contract at UFC 279 in September. One of the more popular fighters in the promotion’s history, Diaz won The Ultimate Fighter 5. He’s tied with Frankie Edgar, Edson Barboza and Dustin Poirier for the most Fight of the Night bonuses in UFC history.

Known for his boxing, conditioning, and durability, Diaz now takes his talents to the ring.

“I think Jake has to be careful,” Edwards told Sky Sports. “Nate is tough. He’s durable. He’s a great boxer. That’s like his style, a very pressure forward fighter.”

“When Jake fought Tommy [Fury], the last fight, you could see a lot of holes in his game that’s still like a beginner,” Edwards continued. “If I had to pick, I’d probably favor Nate more.”

Paul’s boxing career has largely been defeating former UFC fighters. He holds boxing wins over Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (twice), and Anderson Silva. The first time he faced an actual professional boxer he lost. Now he’s back to targeting former UFC fighters.

“I’m hoping that Nate can get it done,” said Edwards. “I feel like he’ll get it done as well… I feel like Nate should have enough to beat him.”