LAS VEGAS – Jorge Masvidal is rolling with the punches, but he’s pretty upset with the way Nate Diaz has handled himself leading up to their scheduled boxing match.
The former UFC stars will meet for the second time in combat sports, but the rematch will take place in the boxing ring instead of the cage. The 10-round, 175-pound boxing match is set for June 1 at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and will stream on Fanmio pay-per-view.
Masvidal appears ready to take care of business inside of the ring, but outside, he says Diaz has made things very difficult to make the fight come together due to various terms and conditions.
“He said he wouldn’t fight unless he walked out second, like non-negotiable,” Masvidal told reporters in a scrum. “Like what the f*ck you talking about? Real Fighters Inc., and this the sh*t you’re pulling? … Another thing that he wanted was his name on top, or he wouldn’t fight. So, I’m like, ‘Do you want to fight or what, motherf*cker?’
“You’ve been telling the whole world the same sh*t, because back in the UFC when I was fighting for titles and you were doing f*cking nothing but picking your nose, you didn’t want to scrap after I got done with them title fights, and it was the same diva act. Now, finally, we got the deal done. It took in totality, the deal took about a year. Like five months with the UFC, and another like four with Nate ‘The Diva’ Diaz.”
Masvidal and Diaz first met at UFC 244 in November 2019 for the inaugural BFM title. “Gamebred” won the fight by TKO after the ringside doctor called a stop to the fight in Round 3 due to a cut above Diaz’s right eye.
While Masvidal isn’t thrilled with having to deal with Diaz’s demands for their second meeting, he hopes his opponent comes to fight in June, and doesn’t pull some of the same antics he did in his boxing debut against Jake Paul last August.
“At least come in there in f*cking shape, man,” Masvidal said. “And at least do your job to everybody watching. Because we’re not watching to watch two guys f*cking fake guillotine and the other guy pointing at him and walking around the ring. People ain’t doing that sh*t and that’s why I think I get so much love because I put everything I got into this craft. When I go out there, I’m going to show Nate why he shouldn’t be smoking so many f*cking blunts.”
The pair have committed to a four-city promotional tour to raise interest in their boxing showdown, which is co-promoted by Diaz’s Real Fight Inc. and Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing. Masvidal plans to reveal all of the hoops Diaz made him jump through before ultimately “ending” him inside the ring.
“My plan is just to state facts,” Masvidal said. “The moment I sit in that chair, facts that I can prove with contracts and paperwork, and show the whole world if anybody has questions on it why I’m so f*cking upset. Because this fight could have taken place way long ago and Nate Diaz is a f*cking diva.”