Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz is around eight weeks out at the time of writing and, by the sounds of it, Diaz is going to have is work cut out if he is to be in fighting shape by the time August 5 rolls around.
Super middleweight contender Esquiva Falcao has been sparring Diaz at Robert Garcia’s gym in California in preparation for the clash with Paul, and has recently provided some insight into how the MMA star is looking – and it doesn’t sound good.
In a post on his official Instagram account, Falcao revealed he estimated Diaz to be around 220lbs on the day, as well as describing him as “bad.”
“At first I thought he was tired, and in the end it looked like he was dying.”
“His fighting style is crazy. You look at him and say, ‘Oh, he’s tired,’ and then we started sparring. Robert Garcia told me in the second round, ‘He’s tired already, hold back a little bit and keep the rhythm so he does at least 10 rounds.”
“I held back and kept boxing, and we did 12 rounds. He was tired but taking punches and throwing, too. He is bad, but since he’s too heavy – he’s overweight, probably around 220lbs or more – and I’m the only big guy in the gym, I had to do it. But I liked doing it.”
Diaz ended his UFC career on a high, submitting Tony Ferguson via Guillotine Choke in his final bout with the organisation in September of last year.
Although he competed at 155lbs and 170lbs during his MMA career, the bout with Paul will take place at a catchweight of 185lbs – the same weight ‘The Problem Child’ boxed Tommy Fury at back in February – meaning, Diaz has around 35lbs to lose if Falcao’s guess on his current shape is correct.