Jorge Masvidal isn’t holding back from the prospect of facing Nate Diaz in a boxing match. Masvidal has been there and defeated Diaz when the pair headlined UFC 244 on Nov. 2, 2019. Since then, the 39-year-olds have been dishing out a vigorous dose of venom to each other, highlighted last month by a brawl between the two camps at a recent press conference attempting to build up to the fight.
This Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Diaz and Masvidal, two MMA stars who are well past their prime, will square off in a 10-round airy heavyweight bout. The card will feature real boxers, as former WBA middleweight champion Danny Jacobs takes on Shane Mosley Jr. in a super middleweight bout, co-presented on Fanmio/DAZN/UFC Fight Pass PPV (9 p.m. ET).
In his only boxing fight, Diaz lost a unanimous decision to Jake Paul and was knocked down twice in August 2023. Diaz last won a fight on September 10, 2022, when he choked out Tony Ferguson in an MMA fight at UFC 279.
“I don’t care about Nate’s past, but anyone with two hands should always be taken care of and respected,” said Masvidal, who will be fighting in boxing for the second time.
He last won a fight five years ago, defeating Diaz at UFC 244.
“I think Diaz is very constrained, based on what I saw in his fight with Jake Paul,” Masvidal said. “I know Nate is very stubborn. He doesn’t change. He just comes out and tries to wear guys down. That’s boxing and he’ll be on par with me. July 6 will show that I’m a determined student of the game. I want to be as brutal as I can. I love being as acute and as clever as you can be in boxing. I’ll bust his ass in the fourth round. I’m excited.”
Masvidal’s first boxing fight took place in June 2005, against Joseph Benjamin. Before the fight, he had a record of 1-11-2.
“I always asked the UFC to box, but they wouldn’t let me and I was always devastated, but eventually I got the permission,” he said. “I got the permission to fight three times, and once I got the permission, I was going to take it seriously. I got the chance to train with Roy Jones Jr. for 10 days and I got the chance to train under Freddie Roach. It was amazing. I’m committed to it. I trained from night to day.”
The hatred stems from their one MMA match. That spilled over into what happened last month when someone on Diaz’s team threw a punch at Masvidal. That’s when Masvidal’s trainer, Jorge Capetillo, interfered and a brawl broke out between the two teams. Interestingly, Diaz was nowhere near the brawl.
“It’s real and it didn’t have to be that way because it started out of mutual respect,” Masvidal said. “After he took it as a kick in Fresh York at UFC 244, when he needed a doctor to save his life, he went on the internet and started saying things like I’m a coward and all these excuses. It didn’t make sense. I was beating the crap out of him for 15 minutes. It just kept happening, and I was fighting for a world championship when he was out of the UFC.
“I signed up for Fanmio for boxing, it just happened to be against Nate Diaz. But he had to be at the top. His camp (allegedly) attacked my trainer and I thought he was a coward. This is for Nate Diaz and his whole team, and he’s going to pay for it. I’m definitely going to say it in the clearest way possible: I want to smash his face; I want him to piss blood for a month. It’s not going to be Hagler-Hearns, because I wouldn’t compare Nate Diaz to any of those greats.
“It won’t be war. It’ll be ass-kicking, like the US invasion of Barbados.”
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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