ESPN’s Andreas Hale interviews Nate Diaz about his upcoming boxing match vs. Jorge Masvidal, including the date for the fight …
you got Mass doll uh the date got moved but I just got to go back to you know the promotional tour you just seem fed up with dude it never seemed like you guys really had bad blood before but what changed with mfal that was just like I’m I’m kind of done with this guy he talks a lot of [ __ ] in the interviews he talks a lot of [ __ ] in interviews and uh change change it up when he sees me on the real but uh it’s all good still regardless I don’t I just went sitting here looking at each other and side out the side of the whp and [ __ ] talking that I’m cool off all that and I was I was over it was it like ca when you guys fought in the UFC didn’t seem like this it seemed like his attitude towards you changed for some reason um you think he’s just really trying to sell a fight more than get on or do you think it’s really personal now yeah he’s a try hard seller that’s for sure he’s like think he’s Mr business man I’m not trying to be you never been about that life um he also said that you were a diva that you had to lead the the the on the Marquee it had to be Diaz versus massal can you clear this up were you being difficult with him and why does he think that well I’m sure if they did do that with my team knows who’s the aside and all that [ __ ] and I was I I had never even talked about they came to me and told me that’s how it was in me and then the only problems that I had was signing the fight to begin with because I was like we should be fighting for real and may fight not boxing the Halloween boxing I don’t know if I could I don’t know if I can sleep with doing that like we should be fighting a whole fighting so I can whip his whole ass you know what I’m saying and uh they I I had a lot of convincing I was like why don’t we just fight an MMA oh he can’t fight an MMA he not allowed so I like well as long as we get to go out there and settle some is the biggest deal outside the UFC for me because none of the boxers want to box uh then UFC want to lock me down forever so uh it was the biggest fight uh the biggest thing I can do at the moment so if I’m a Diva about it you’re all there way settle for I mean clearly now this is a boxing match I mean you you fought Jake Paul in a box match you’ve always liked boxing um what do you think massal brings to the table as a boxer like he’s been talking like he did bare knuckle back in Florida but it’s a completely different world in a boxing ring do you think you have a big advantage over him when it comes to Bo just straight up boxing no I think one of the same playing field he uh he likes to play he does the same thing Jake Paul did they like to play like like I have an advantage just because takes the pressure off of him but he’s been fighting for longer than me I think maybe a year or two longer than me and MMA and I know he’s been boxing and has experience and knows how to fight and all that so I think we’re on even playing field and and uh I know what I’m signed up for and I know he’s a beast and all that and uh I’m gonna go out there and try to get the job done best that I can what made you change your mind because you said it should have been an MMA fight this was it more so the money the opportunity like what made you sign on eventually because like you said you wanted this to be an MMA fight but there was really to go he’s the only one that was able to fight okay if I could I’d be fighting I’d be fighting Triple G or somebody in a boxing match you know or I fight Leon Edward for World title I’m here to fight the best fighters in the world and uh let everybody know that I’m the best fighter in the whole world still and for forever and that’s what I signed up for in the beginning and that’s what I’m still doing now and I’m not into play fighting and any [ __ ] and M do the best fighter that was able to fight I could fight anybody else but I’m like what am going to do prove I’m not just trying to grab money you know I mean obviously we want to grab money but I’m not running around trying to grab I can make the same amount of money F Joe Blow you know but MLL MLL is the biggest biggest deal that I could fight so it was uh it was the one to go with uh he’s kind of mentioned that this is a kind of like a rematch for the B BMF title do you see that the same way because of how that BMF title fight ended for he got a question uh he got a question uh I think I hold that title no matter what I don’t think fans would argue with that I think that you’ve proven that over the years um you mentioned Jake Paul the fight with Jake Paul a couple times did you see that this dude said that you were the lightest puncher that he’s ever fought and why do you think he would say something like that he’s he’s already fought you so it’s like why bring your name up now for one I was in and I couldn’t even really throw a punch I was up and uh and uh for two he was the easiest fight I ever had that was the longest fight at the heaviest weight class I’ve ever had never got tired never got hurt nothing uh I even when I got knocked down I think it was timing because it didn’t hurt I got up like okay are you good I’m like oh I’m fine it it was just a timing thing and um uh I thought he was pretty weak himself I on a four Monon Bender before the fight I mean Bender we trained hard for months on months and we were over it me and my whole team so uh I sat back and started kicking it and I was over training and it only happened like that if it was a scary opponent you won’t allow yourself to do that but it was hard it was just easy to go to sleep at night find that guy and uh so but it’s good that it happened like that because now it’s necessary uh to work out get disciplined and go back and whip his ass I’m the weakest puncher like and you’re the one who wanted to fight like 30 pound over my original weight division I’m like I you think I was trying to just sit there and knock you out like throw as hard of punch as I can I was just getting through that fight because I was H halfway uh to my potential that day so for this fight do you feel like you’re going to be fully at your potential like house training going plus I mean last fight that’s for sure did the date change help you at all with this fight being moved back a little bit no I liked it I liked it when it where was and uh I wish I wish would have got it done a long time ago I planed on I wanted to fight three times this year already we one month are we in July June July August September OCT November [ __ ] I might be able to get another one or two in that’s what I was goingon to ask you man like no matter what happens are you looking to do another boxing match after this or is it trying to return to MMA I’m going to look at the options after this and think about who who who I can get and I got some I got some things BR so we’ll see what happens with this one now obviously you’ve said it many times that you think another fight with Conor McGregor will happen and Conor obviously broke his toe couldn’t fight Michael Chandler if that opportunity presents itself again are you ready for that to for as your next fight because it it’s one of the most anticipated rematches that people want to see yeah when when everything lines up we’re going to fight again it’s plan does it would you be interested in boxing him or is it got to be MMA I would like to fight MMA okay that makes total sense um boxing you’ve done this a couple times I don’t I need to know like how much do you enjoy the art of boxing versus MMA because like you said you want to fight Mass with all in MMA but have you enjoyed this journey training for boxing is there anything different for you yeah no I uh it’s it’s less wear and tear I don’t have to do as much as an MMA uh but it also starts to get boring so I’ll go back and just do just you couple days a week just cuz that boxy on get got burnt out and it didn’t feel it’s complete so but it’s a lot less winti and healthier to train for you know it’s not good to get hit in your head all day and [ __ ] but uh it’s not good to get kicked your legs and Tangle your [ __ ] up and all your [ __ ] up doing everything else too so either way I’m with it all I train all day even if I’m not fighting so it’s good and it’s fun to train Force something rather than uh it feel go to train for something and get the job done did you do anything different for this training camp in terms of just more running triathlons anything like that or just been strictly focusing on boxing yeah I did a lot of the same [ __ ] as I always do TW little different stuff how is your body feeling right now I mean just you you’ve done a lot bro like I don’t know if you started to feel the wear and tear on your body as the years have gone on or do you still feel like in tremendous shape yeah I feel in good shape we just got back from town we riding in the mountains yesterday and swimming out there and doing all kinds of good [ __ ] I uh I’m about two weeks out now I was just thinking yesterday like man I’m going to go do some Jiu-Jitsu tomorrow cuz I haven’t done Jiu-Jitsu all week and I feel like that’s the strength and conditioning I think it makes you stronger even if you’re a boxer you should probably needu Jitsu to get stronger and uh more solid foundation is that gonna be an advantage for you against massol in this fight you’re conditioning the same thing the same [ __ ] A couple more for you um one your brother’s coming back Nick’s coming back to the UFC did you guys have a conversation about that and do you have any idea what made him decide like yeah I’m gonna come back and fight in Saudi Arabia it’s surprised a lot of people yeah um I think it just a matter of time he’s a fighter just wonder what would Tak so long so he’s fine is he gonna be there for your fight against massol I think he’s coming out yeah does that help you is is it good to see your brother by your side when on big fight nights um yeah I like I like my brother anywhere in the where there’s war going on he always got your back and then lastly how’s this fight turn out I I know you don’t do too much on predictions but you guys are fighting at a higher weight massal has never been a really big dude um how do you see this fight going with him going I’m going to win I’m going that’s what I’m going for justes a win by any means necessary yeah I like that I like that well Nate man appreciate the time I know you ain’t big on talking so I always appreciate you taking any time to talk to me man I appreciate that all good thanks for calling too [Applause] [Music]