Logan Paul has accused Nate Diaz of ‘running’ as talks stall over a boxing match between the pair.
Paul, 27, rose to fame on YouTube alongside his younger brother Jake, and both have competed in boxing in recent years. Most recently, Logan Paul fought boxing icon Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout in 2021.
Meanwhile, mixed martial arts icon Diaz left the UFC in September after submitting Tony Ferguson, and the 37-year-old has expressed a desire to box next.
Discussing rumoured negotiations between himself and Diaz, Paul told BT Sport of his fellow American: “I think he’s running. This guy, I think he’s ducking.
“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 [to] 1 million buys, and I’m an 0-1 YouTuber. Seems like an easy fight on paper.”
Paul was referring to his professional boxing record, which consists of a single fight, which he lost to fellow YouTuber KSI in 2019. Paul previously fought KSI to a draw in an amateur bout, and later boxed Mayweather in an exhibition contest – with neither fight counted towards his pro record.
“I don’t even care anymore,” Paul continued, discussing a potential fight with Diaz. “I thought I had something locked in, but apparently he said the fight was off. Like, 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. 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.
“Let’s recount the facts: You have an extremely healthy deal on the table with the person that – by far – will sell you the most pay-per-views of any dance partner that you decide to go with, and I’m an 0-1 YouTuber. Why would you back out of that?”
However, Paul also praised Diaz, who famously traded MMA wins with Conor McGregor in 2016.
“I think he’s great, I think it would be a great fight,” Paul said. “People would want to see that fight. He’s tough as hell, obviously an MMA legend, can move the needle.
“I’m just hyper ambitious, a little delusional and can kind of box.”
Paul will be in action on the first night of WWE’s two-day Wrestlemania event this weekend, taking on Seth Rollins on Saturday (Paul’s 28th birthday).
Paul made his debut with the professional wrestling company at last year’s edition of Wrestlemania, and he has featured intermittently for the WWE in the 12 months since.
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