Jake Paul and Nate Diaz stood toe-to-toe for the first time as they prepare for their boxing match, which takes place Aug. 5 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Watch video of the faceoff below.
It wasn’t exactly the most tense staredown, but that was in line to the relaxed feel of Tuesday’s press conference that saw both fighters take soft verbal jabs at each other while speaking to the media. When it was time to face off, Paul and Diaz appeared to engage in some playful sparring, lightly gripping and smacking at each other’s arms.
Though some may be disappointed by the apparent lack of conflict, fans should be grateful that the moment even happened as moments earlier Diaz left the podium without explanation. According to mediator Ariel Helwani, Diaz was simply leaving to go to the washroom. Sure enough, the longtime UFC star returned just as it was time for the faceoff to occur.
Paul looks to rebound from his first boxing loss after dropping a split decision to Tommy Fury this past February. On the other side, Diaz makes his pro boxing debut coming off of a submission win of Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279, a bout that marked the last of his UFC contract.
