Promoter Eddie Hearn was holding his nose while watching Jake Paul’s recent fight with MMA icon Nate Diaz.
Earlier this month, Paul picked up a ten round unanimous decision win over Diaz, who was making his pro debut in boxing.
Paul (7-1, 4 KOs), a social media star who turned to boxing, bounced back from his first career defeat.
In February, Paul suffered an eight round split decision loss to light heavyweight prospect Tommy Fury.
Against Diaz, Paul was able to rock the MMA veteran in the first round and had him in serious trouble. Paul once again hurt Diaz in the fifth, with a temple shot that created a knockdown. Diaz was continuously able to weather the storm and at times made the fight very competitive.
Diaz’s technique was not polished and very unorthodox.
“It was awful,” Hearn told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “Don’t get me wrong, the event was unbelievable. You did a great job. Brilliant. But when you’re talking about…. you know MMA like the back of your hand. I know boxing like the back of my hand, and I’m watching that like [face in his hands], ‘This is so bad.’ The reason that Nate didn’t get stopped is that Jake didn’t have the ability. He doesn’t know how to break a fighter down, cut off the ring, beat him up, and stop him. But I give my props to Nate: super tough. Super tough. But you’re talking about low, low level in terms of standard.
“We have something in the U.K. called an area title, which is in a specific radius — it’s kind of like a state title. These guys wouldn’t win a state title, that’s the level they’re fighting at. But listen, props to Nate. He definitely didn’t have ability, but what he did have was grit. But Jake just doesn’t have the ability or the experience to break someone down and stop them. And I was convinced he would.”