Jake Paul has described himself as "a new fighter" after he was able to return to winning ways with a dominant points victory over Nate Diaz.
Earlier this year, YouTube star Paul lost his unbeaten record in boxing as he was edged out by Tommy Fury, yet his profile ensured that he was able to make an immediate return in an eye-catching fight against a former UFC star.
While Paul had been tipped to win, the 26-year-old ensured that he did so in what proved to be a relatively entertaining fight, albeit without the skills usually on show on top-of-the-bill cards in the United States.
Paul dominated from the off, pummelling Diaz to such an extent during the opening three rounds that it came as a surprise when Diaz was able to bounce back and edge the fourth.
However, Paul floored Diaz in the fifth after his opponent lazily followed him towards the ropes and walked onto a sharp left that sent him staggering across the ring.
The moment Nate Diaz locked Jake Paul in a guillotine choke in the final 20 seconds of their fight and then celebrated the submission win... pic.twitter.com/1Vdm5GYuRh
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 6, 2023
Although Diaz rallied towards the end of the contest, concluding the bout by clinching Paul in a chokehold and sarcastically claiming victory at the final bell, there were no complaints when the judges returned verdicts of 97-92, 97-92 and 98-91 respectively.
In the press conference that followed, Paul felt that the disappointment of the Fury defeat will prove to be a blessing in disguise, insisting that he could have gone the 12-round championship distance for the first time had he been required to.
Paul told reporters: "I'm a new fighter. The new team we brought in, the new strength and conditioning, everything was new and I worked harder this camp. It pushed me to my limits.
"There were moments in the gym where I thought, 'Damn I don't even know if I can do this,' but I just kept on believing in myself and now my gas tank is crazy. I could have kept on going. I could have gone 12 rounds and we are just stepping up and up, and after doing it in three years- I'm happy with myself."
He later added: "The loss was seriously the best thing. It set me on the path I was supposed to be on and you can't cut corners in this sport. I was in the gym the day after the loss. I flew back from the Middle East and went to the gym every single day up until this fight."
Although an MMA bout with Diaz remains a possibility for later in the year, Paul will be an interesting observer when KSI faces Fury in Manchester on October 14.
Darren Plant
