Following a rather lackluster week in advance of their anticipated boxing match Saturday, a wild brawl broke out in the final press conference between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz. The 10-round cruiserweight main event between the social media star and the former UFC contender headlines the main Paul vs. Diaz fight card from American Airlines Center in Dallas. In the final press conference Thursday, the combatants remained calm and poised throughout, including during the ceremonial faceoff for a photo opportunity. However, words between the camps were then exchanged and a brawl ensued, reportedly sending multiple participants to the hospital for treatment.
The Paul vs. Diaz fight card begins at 8 p.m. ET. Paul is a -380 favorite (risk $380 to return $100), while Diaz is priced at +300 in the latest Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz odds. The over/under for total rounds finished is 7.5, with the Over juiced to -135. Before making any Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz picks, make sure you see the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst Peter Kahn.
Kahn is a true boxing insider who has his finger on the pulse of what's going on inside and outside of the ring. He has managed numerous world champions and currently manages 20 fighters through his company, Fight Game Advisors. Kahn recently won the 2022 Boxing Writers Association of America Cus D'Amato Manager of the Year award and was named to the 2023 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
Kahn is uncanny when it comes to picking fights. He is an astounding 41-13 on his last 54 SportsLine boxing picks, returning nearly $4,000 to $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed him has already seen massive returns.
Now, with Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz in sight, Kahn has studied the matchup from every angle and released confident picks for the fight. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz preview
In the lead-up to Saturday's fight, Paul (6-1) repeatedly expressed a sense of urgency in not only getting his hand raised but doing so in impressive fashion. Paul said he briefly considered hanging up the gloves following his loss to Fury, which many of his critics used as fodder to suggest Paul couldn't compete at a professional level and that his novelty had faded with the defeat.
Paul said a second loss Saturday would undoubtedly derail his career, but an impressive win over a household name like Diaz would put him back on track. With a win Saturday, Paul might seek a rematch with Fury or call for a fight against another accomplished professional boxer.
"I'm filled with vengeance, ambition, hunger and drive more than ever before," Paul told the media. "I have a lot to prove, two chips on each shoulder, and it's do-or-die for me. Truly, this fight is do-or-die."
Earlier this week, Diaz told the media he was aware of the "secret" to Paul's boxing success against former MMA fighters. Although he fell short of outright praising his opponent. Diaz acknowledged Paul had some keen business sense when he lined up matches against the likes of former UFC fighters such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.
Diaz said he knew the UFC fighters would draw attention because of their name recognition but was also aware that most MMA fighters come from a grappling or wrestling base, and stand-up striking is often the last skill they learn.
But Diaz said this knowledge helped him throughout his MMA career as well. He and his brother Nick, both considered icons of the MMA world, trained heavily in boxing from an early age and used that advantage to batter lesser-skilled opponents in the cage.
"The thing about him is he knows MMA fighters can't box and they're in over their heads trying to box because he worked a bunch of them over in training and fights also," Diaz said. "The thing is, I'm in on the same secret. I've been in on that since I was 15. I was boxing the whole neighborhood, with every pro I could find." See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz picks
Kahn likes the Under 7.5 rounds. He's also locked in two other best bets, including a strong money-line pick and a method-of-victory prop. You can only see those selections at SportsLine.
Who wins Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul, and which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn's best bets for Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a profit of nearly $4,000, and find out.
