Legendary boxing coach Teddy Atlas thinks Jake Paul beats Nate Diaz.
Diaz makes his pro boxing debut Saturday in Dallas, where he takes on YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Paul in a 10-round, 185-pound matchup that headlines a pay-per-view co-promoted by DAZN and Diaz’s Real Fight Inc.
Atlas credits Diaz for his resolve, though, and thinks his heart and durability will always keep him in a fight.
“You can’t count Nate Diaz out because of that mental resolve, that realm that is his realm that he knows how to find a way,” Atlas said on “DC & RC.” “Not to be deterred, not to give in in any way, not to be compromised. People are compromised when they get into that environment, and he doesn’t get compromised Diaz. He has that going for him.”
But Atlas isn’t sure that will be enough for Diaz. Paul will look to rebound from his first-career loss to Tommy Fury, and since Diaz isn’t a professional boxer, Atlas thinks “The Problem Child” has strong enough fundamentals to beat the Stockton, Calif.-born superstar.
“I’m picking Paul to win the fight and the reason I’m picking him to win the fight is he has developed himself enough,” Atlas said. “I’ll make it real simple: He throws straighter punches than Diaz. He’s got the straight jab. I think that could control Diaz on the outside and he’s got the straight right hand. Sometimes, Diaz breaks the rules. He breaks the laws in the ring where he throws wide punches right in front of you.
“And if you throw wide punches, you don’t need me to tell you, you learned that in geometry, didn’t you, where straight beats round? Even I learned that. Straight beats round, so one thing Paul has gotten down with is he’ll throw those punches nice and straight. He’s done a good job with that – that, and the experienced he’s gained where again, he doesn’t fall apart in that domain.”
For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Diaz.
