Jake Paul has called on Nate Diaz to sign a fight contract after the UFC legend's contract with the promotion officially expired.
Diaz fought out his deal in September when he choked out Tony Ferguson in his final fight with Dana White's organisation. But the UFC had a period of exclusivity which had to expire before Diaz could explore other options.
That has now expired and he has been removed from the UFC roster. The 37-year-old will likely have a plethora of options, including in boxing, bare-knuckle boxing and WWE, but Paul has long sought a fight with the veteran.
And he took to social media to say: "Hi Nate. Finally out of your UFC contract? Let’s see how tough you are in the boxing ring instead of hallway slap contests. I have a venue booked. Offer is ready when you are. Just need you to sign."
Paul plans to return to the ring in February having outpointed Anderson Silva last month. He claims to have sent an offer to three potential opponents including Tommy Fury with whom he has already seen two fights cancelled at short notice.
Another potential opponent is controversial former kickboxer Andrew Tate but he has yet to confirm whether he has been sent an offer. Fury remains the frontrunner with the UK and the Middle East potential venues for the showdown.
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But Diaz's status as a free man makes him an attractive option for Paul with the UFC legend's manager confirming to MMA Junkie : "Nate is going to be looking at the biggest fights possible.
"He has stated that completing the trilogy with Conor McGregor is something that interests him, and that has not changed. You will see Nate competing multiple times in 2023, and that will include boxing."
