Nate Diaz has backed down from his proposed rule change which would have seen him fight Jake Paul over 10 rounds.
UFC legend Diaz, 38, is scheduled to make his boxing debut against Paul, 26, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on August 5. It will mark Diaz's first fight since leaving the UFC last September after a 15-year tenure in the promotion, as he tapped out Tony Ferguson in the final fight on his contract.
Paul vs Diaz was originally booked for eight rounds, but Diaz recently called for a rule change that would have scheduled him and Paul for 10 rounds. Paul accepted his opponent's offer by tweeting: "I guess he has good cardio. Ok Nathan, 10 rounds it is," but Diaz has backtracked on the rule change in his latest tweet that read: "I’m good with 8".
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If the rule change would have remained in effect, it would have marked the first time Paul was booked to go 10 rounds during his ring career. Diaz's decision to turn down the rule change comes as a surprise given his prediction for the fight, as he promised Paul would be in trouble if he is unable to win by knockout in the early rounds.
"If I'm going to get knocked out, it's going to be right off the gate or the next three f****ng rounds," Diaz predicted. "But if not, then it's like you're in big trouble and I'm already willing to get knocked out. Are you willing to get tired and get your f****ng ass whipped and knocked the f*** out? You're over here acting like 'Oh, 15 rounds' I'm like, you're f****ng trying to blend it in so everybody forgets about it so it's a joke and it goes away. Right now, let's do 12 rounds. It doesn't matter to me."
Paul has been fairly respectful of Diaz during the build-up to their fight, but the pair did have a tense face-to-face at their press conference last month. Paul also mocked Diaz, who left the stage at one point to use the toilet, by bringing out a clapping toy monkey and likening it to what goes in the UFC legend's head.
Having just moved into a new $16million house in Puerto Rico, Paul plans to use his music studio to release a ' diss track ' aimed at Diaz during the build-up to their fight. "The music studio being here means it's time to make a song again. Maybe two songs. I want to make a Nate Diaz diss track and maybe just another song, kind of like fresh out of London vibes," he said.
