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Nate Diaz details life-long dream: “I would have been a pro boxer when I was 18 years old”

Published

May 10, 2023

Nate Diaz. Photo via Instagram (@natediaz209)

With his pro boxing bout against Jake Paul on August 5, former UFC fighter Nate Diaz will finally be able to fulfill a life-long dream.

At the pre-fight press conference on Tuesday, the Stockton-born fighter claimed that he wanted to be a professional boxer right from the start of his professional career.

“I would have been a pro boxer when I was 18 years old but a cage fight came up first so I was stuck in a cage my whole career,” Diaz said. “There were times when I got locked in a contract right away from the UFC. So I was already locked down from the beginning.”

Nate Diaz wanted to box for a long time

Despite a very successful nearly 20 year long MMA career, with more than 15 years spent in the leading promotion, Diaz always had a will to compete as a professional boxer.

“I wanted to get out and do boxing, but it was contract after contract and shit. It was a chain reaction the whole time. I was just locked in longer and longer. I’ve been going to boxing gyms since I’m 15 years old, sparring pro boxers, and I don’t think I’ve ever got my ass whipped in a boxing gym and not come back and been the last guy to win the rounds.”

“I’ve always wanted to box. Like I said, I feel like I was a pro boxer the whole time.”

Never liked being stereotyped as an MMA fighter

At the press conference, Diaz claimed he never liked being stereotyped as just an MMA fighter and is happy to finally get a chance to showcase his skills in the ring.

“Every fight I fight in MMA, I was training just like any boxer trains for a boxing match, sparring pros, hitting mitts, running and doing all of the boxing workouts and more sparring than probably anybody and that was just part of the time.”

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