The long-anticipated boxing match set to be contested between UFC legend Nate Diaz and UFC veteran Jorge Masvidal goes down Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The fight is scheduled for 10 three-minute rounds.
Fight fans can stream Fanmio’s Last Man Standing: Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 live on DAZN, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
The Origins
Although this will be the first time Diaz and Masvidal meet in the boxing ring, they have already competed once under the UFC banner in a landmark fight for the promotion. The two fought in the main event at UFC 244 at Madison Square for the inaugural UFC BMF title back in 2019. The fight received great fanfare and promotion, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson even on hand to “belt” the winner. However, the fight ended unceremoniously at the end of the third round when a cut above the eye rendered Diaz unable to compete at the orders of the cageside doctor.
At first, Diaz and Masvidal were cordial and sportsmanlike with one another, as they had been during the build up. However, when Masvidal offered to run the fight back against Diaz’ older brother, Nick, a UFC legend in his own right, the younger Diaz took exception to that, and two have been chirping at one another ever since.
No Love Lost
Since their UFC 244 tilt, Masvidal and Diaz have down separate, unique paths, both of which resulted in their UFC departures. Diaz had a very public divorce from the promotion, finishing out his contract by filling in against Leon Edwards at UFC 263, then by beating Tony Ferguson on 24 hours notice at UFC 279 after some controversial weigh-in antics from Khamzat Chimaev. The UFC insisted on Diaz fighting Chimaev in the final fight on his deal, and with the fight taking place 14 months after the Leon Edwards fight, Diaz burned 14 months off his career in anticipation of his final UFC marching orders.
From there, he immediately leapfrogged into the world of boxing, where he had a nice payday against Jake Paul, albeit while dropping a unanimous decision in his debut. He’s since been exchanging words with Masvidal in the media, which, along with demand, led to this fight getting booked.
Masvidal, meanwhile, has had his hands full with post-UFC with not only Diaz, but also arch rival Colby Covington and UFC legend Chael Sonnen. After fighting Covington in the second-to-last fight on his deal, Masvidal assaulted Covington at a Miami restaurant. He accepted a plea agreement to accept a misdemeanor battery charge in 2023, and so he then turned his attention toward life after the UFC. That future had Diaz in it first, and if Masvidal can beat Diaz for a second time, he can close the chapter on his longstanding feud with the Diaz Brothers while potentially putting Paul, a recent Diaz opponent, firmly in his crosshairs.
Though Masvidal took the first fight, the added elements of five years’ difference and the new realm of professional boxing could make this a toss-up (Masvidal is currently a -275 favorite on most sportsbooks). It should be a fun one — the UFC even took the time to promote the matchup through its mobile app.
Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 Results
Main Card
Nate Diaz def. Jorge Masvidal via Majority Decision (95-95, 97-93, 98-92)
Shane Mosley Jr. def. Daniel Jacobs via Unanimous Decision (99-91, 99-91, 100-90)
Chris Avila def. Anthony Pettis via Unanimous Decision (58-56, 59-55, 59-55)
Curmel Moton def. Nikolai Buzolin via Knockout at 1:39 of Round 2
Amado Vargas def. Sean Garcia via Knockout at :46 of Round 6
Devin Cushing def. Manny Correa via Unanimous Decision (77-75, 78-74, 80-72)
