Logan Paul has accused Nate Diaz of "running" from a potential fight between the pair after leaving the UFC at the end of last year.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been working towards his ring return, but is also pursuing a career in WWE and marketing a number of his businesses. And he would be keen to face former UFC title challenger Diaz in his first legitimate professional bout since 2019 if he were willing to make a deal.
Diaz is one of the most sought-after free agents in the world of combat sport after leaving MMA's top promotion with a submission win over Tony Ferguson in September. And he has offers on the table for bouts in the cage and the ring across disciplines after amassing a massive fan base during his 15 years in the promotion.
“I think he’s running. This guy, I think he’s ducking,” Paul told BT Sport in a teasing interview, before confirming that Diaz was the opponent. “We have the sweetest deal for him and he knows the type of numbers I bring in. I’m not a quarter of a million [pay-per-view buys] type of fighter, you’re going to get 750,000-1million buys, and I’m an 0-1 YouTuber. Seems like an easy fight on paper.
“I don’t even care anymore. I thought I had something locked in, but apparently he said the fight was off. Like, why? Why? So he could fight someone else? For what purpose? To get less buys, and maybe an easier fight? I don’t get it. As far as I know, it’s not dead because we had to f***ing offer him more money. It’s like we’re baiting this guy into fighting me.
Who do you think wins between Logan Paul and Nate Diaz? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below!
"It’s hard for me to get a fight because either you’re not worth my time and energy, or you’re not going to sell pay-per-views. I’ll do it, but I need a dance partner. And I don’t need a tune-up fight, give me the real dogs. Nate Diaz is a dog. I was looking forward to that fight, then I got a call the other day and they said they didn’t want to do it. It was almost done. I don’t know.”
Paul reportedly sold in the region of one million PPVs on Showtime when he faced Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition back in June of 2021, but hasn't fought since. He was due to compete in January on the same card as his former rival KSI but an injury cost him the bout.
He is currently preparing for his third WrestleMania, where he will face former WWE champion Seth Rollins on Saturday night in Los Angeles at the SoFi Stadium. However, Paul appears keen to box again, after watching his brother Jake establish a career as a professional over the past three years.
