Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz Fight Was 2nd-Most Bet Boxing Match in DraftKings History
Tyler Conway@@jtylerconway
Featured Columnist IVAugust 7, 2023
We'll have to wait for the pay-per-view numbers to see if Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz was a hit at the box office, but it certainly was at the sportsbook.
Paul vs. Diaz was reportedly the second-most bet boxing match in the history of DraftKings Sportsbook, according to David Purdum of ESPN. Only April's Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight drew more interest.
David Payne Purdum @DavidPurdumJake Paul-Nate Diaz was the second-most heavily bet boxing match (most bets and money) in the history of <a href="https://twitter.com/DKSportsbook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DKSportsbook</a> (behind only Davis-Garcia April 2023).<br><br>Paul-Diaz attracted more than 2x as many bets as the entire six-fight card of Saturday's UFC 291 at <a href="https://twitter.com/BetMGM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BetMGM</a> sportsbooks.
Paul defeated Diaz, who was making his boxing debut after a decorated MMA career, via unanimous decision Saturday night. The YouTuber-turned-boxer dominated most of the fight, knocking down Diaz in the fifth round and cruising on the judges' scorecards.
Paul is now 5-0 in his career against MMA fighters, having defeated Diaz, Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (twice) and Anderson Silva. The lone loss of his boxing career came against the only professional boxer he's ever faced, Tommy Fury, the brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
While many wrote off Paul's boxing career as a sideshow gimmick, he clearly takes himself seriously and his fights continue to draw considerable interest. It remains to be seen where Paul will go for his next fight, but it's starting to become apparent he may someday be better known for his in-ring prowess than his antics on social media.
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