DALLAS – Jake Paul isn’t really sure what to make of what he saw from Nate Diaz in their first news conference and faceoff Tuesday.
Paul, who takes on Diaz in an eight-round boxing match on Aug. 5, was thrown off by Diaz’s calm and, at times, playful demeanor. The YouTube star expected Diaz to be more aggressive, given some of the things said online in the build up to the fight.
“He was calm and respectful,” Paul told MMA Junkie and other reporters after the news conference at American Airlines Center. “I don’t know. It was interesting. I wanted to get him riled up because he talked that sh*t on social media and said everything on interviews. But today when we were face to face, he acted like a b*tch.”
Paul went on to add, “He was just hella nice. It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know. He was talking all that sh*t online, talking sh*t on Twitter, and then he just didn’t really say anything.”
Diaz will compete in his first non-UFC fight since October 2006 when he takes on Paul. Throughout his career, Diaz has built a reputation to be aggressive to his opponents, both in and out of the cage.
Paul isn’t sure why Diaz is carried himself the way he did Tuesday, but doubts it’s mental warfare or games from the MMA star.
“I don’t think he’s that smart, brother,” Paul said.
For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Diaz.
