Jake Paul admits he is not sure it will be easy for Nate Diaz to leave his UFC contract and negotiate a potential boxing fight.
YouTube star Paul has fought five times as a professional and will take on his sixth test against UFC legend Anderson Silva on October 29 in Arizona. Providing he progresses beyond the stern examination of his credentials, Paul is eyeing further crossover bouts including against long-term target Diaz.
It appeared a route to a potential fight became clearer last weekend after Diaz defeated Tony Ferguson in the final fight on his UFC contract before stating his ambitions to switch to the squared circle. However Paul is not yet willing to get ahead of himself until he defeats Silva, despite admitting a future bout is on his mind.
"We will see I think there is a lot of hurdles that he has to get through," Paul told ESPN when assessing the chances of him facing Diaz after his upcoming clash with Silva. "Even getting out of his contract probably I don't know all the details but then I also have to get through some hurdles and one of them is a massive one in Anderson Silva.
"First of all I will focus on October 29 but in the back of my head I do want that fight and I think the fans also want that fight. I definitely use all the potential fights that could happen in my career as motivation. I want to have a long career and when I am in the gym I think about wanting to do this for four or five more years. This isn't just a short term thing for me, and I always think about the people who want to beat me, when we fight I will have worked harder."
Diaz took to the microphone after his win to request he is ringside for Paul's upcoming challenge against Silva, with a view to challenging the winner. Paul has been heavily linked with a bout against Diaz for several months after issuing a call-out to the UFC veteran on his boxing hit-list.
Who wins if the pair meet in the boxing ring - Jake Paul or Nate Diaz? Let us know in the comments section below
The Stockton native was considered as an opponent for Paul last year instead of his eventual rematch with Tyron Woodley, but he was unable to negotiate while he remained tied down to his UFC deal. However Diaz is ready to now accept Paul's challenge, and his rival believes his flawless performance against Ferguson has built hype for a fight further.
“A 10 out of 10,” Paul added to The Schmo of Diaz’s performance. “He was entertaining, he was fun, he had great striking and then he finished with the submission. It was near flawless and just sets up a massive fight, hopefully for us one day, but for now, October 29, Anderson Silva.”
