YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is back in the pugilism win column following his return to the ring this past weekend.
Paul, a former Disney star, made the walk inside Dallas’ American Airlines Center on Saturday, August 5, to throw down with ex-UFC star Nate Diaz. And for the first time in his professional career, “The Problem Child” entered the squared circle on the back of a loss.
Six months prior, Paul fell to defeat for the first time at the hands of Tommy Fury. The British pro narrowly outpointed the 26-year-old Cleveland native in their Saudi Arabia showdown.
After that setback, Paul returned to the pool of mixed martial arts veterans to source his next opponent, ultimately adding Diaz’s name to a list of fallen victims that already included Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva.
While many were expecting the polarizing figure to get the better of his Stockton counterpart come fight night, one former UFC champion was still left impressed by Paul’s display.
Cormier Admits Being Proved Wrong By Paul
During a recent episode of Funky and The Champ, ex-light heavyweight and heavyweight UFC titleholder Daniel Cormier gave his assessment of Paul’s latest outing in the boxing ring.
While “DC” has been critical of “The Problem Child” in the past and even once had a heated confrontation with him cageside at UFC 261, he insisted that Paul is better than most will acknowledge.
Cormier also admitted to being proved wrong by Paul’s heart and grit, noting that he expected the online star to wilt when the going got tough against Diaz.
“Jake Paul, for me, did a good job but still showed there’s a lot of work to be done,” Cormier said. “What I will say about Jake Paul, bro, he’s better than people try to give him credit for and he’s a lot of tougher than people try to give him credit for. Because one of the areas I thought he would struggle was when it got hard, he would kind of fold up and go back to making videos. But he doesn’t pack it in, bro, he fights through the tough times.”
Paul’s cardio and continued fight into the late rounds against Diaz was indeed a major talking point following his victory, with many praising the 26-year-old’s conditioning and ability to go 10 rounds so early into his career.
Cardio king got cardio kinged. Don’t let him fool you, his team demanded 10 rounds. I agreed because I didn’t want any excuses. Credit to Nate for not making any. pic.twitter.com/JrGd5c0a4M
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) August 6, 2023
Read Also: ‘Nate Diaz Really Tried A Guillotine’ – Fans React To Jake Paul Outworking Nate Diaz In Wild Scrap
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