Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal 2 Is Official - But It's A Boxing Match
Welp. It's official.
Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal II will go down this June at the Kia Forum, and it wont happen in the octagon - it'll be in the squared circle this time around.
HappyPunch was the first to report the news of this rematch happening, all the way back in January….
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….and considering it was originally reported as Las Vegas in March with the rest of the details correct, I assume this has been in the works for a long time.
When I initially blogged the rumor, this was my take….
If this news is true, and Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz II is a go for March in the squared circle….unfortunately I think it's a fight nobody asked for coming to fruition. The first fight between these guys was all the way back in November of 2019 at UFC 244, and it wasn't particularly close. Masvidal put a real bad whooping on Diaz before a doctor stepped in and called an end to the very first BMF Championship bout due to some bad cuts near Nate's right eye.
Diaz had his moments in that fight, like he always does, but he was just clearly a step behind Masvidal the whole night.
There's really no reason to believe it'd go any differently almost five years later, except putting it in the boxing ring will just make it less fun to watch. That's not to say I always think MMA is more entertaining than boxing (which I do), but who on earth would prefer to watch two MMA fighters box rather than just fighting? The most famous moment of Masvidal's career is a flying knee and the most famous moment of Diaz's career is a rear naked-choke; these guys aren't necessarily known as the guardians of the sweet science. We want to watch them utilize every weapon in their respective arsenals.
….and that take hasn't changed at all in the three months since that blog.
I'm happy that Diaz/Masvidal are getting the bag for this, because I'm a fan of both guys - but this is the rematch nobody asked for, five years too late, with a less entertaining set of rules than it had last time. Plain and simple.
It's also happening on what should be a huge day for combat sports, which will undoubtedly overshadow this fight….
….and they're charging $79.99 for the PPV day-of, $49.99 if you buy it in advance. That price is OUTRAGEOUS for this fight and what I'm sure will be a bunch of shitty undercard matchups.
I don't know who in their right mind would spend the $80 on this over UFC 302 OR Beterbiev vs Bivol. That being said - I'm afraid of both Jorge Masvidal AND Nate Diaz so this will be the last of my trashing of the event. I wish them nothing but success. I just may not be watching.