Several UFC fighters are not convinced by the hype generated by Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal for their boxing bout. The pair have been promoting their fight but even fans have been left unconvinced.
On his podcast, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley touched upon the topic of Diaz vs. Masvidal. The UFC fighter claimed that he was unsure how the fight would do PPV-wise. O’Malley said, “I wonder how that’s going to do viewership-wise. ‘Cause I haven’t really tuned into anything [related to it].
(Watch from 8:10 minutes)
Former UFC fighter Michael Bisping also reacted to the fight when it was announced. He took to his YouTube channel to claim that he would have liked them to go down the MMA road instead.
Another former UFC fighter, Chael Sonnen, had claimed that the boxing bout between Diaz and Masvidal was a terrible idea. He took to his YouTube channel in January 2024 – even before the fight was officially announced – to give his views. Sonnen, who has a long-standing beef with Masvidal, has continued with the opinion that the boxing bout is not a good idea.
Diaz and Masvidal were some of the best promoters of a fight during their days in the UFC. Their rivalry also dates back to their time in the MMA promotion. Masvidal defeated Diaz via doctor stoppage at UFC 244 to become the original owner of the BMF belt. However, since that fight came to an end due to unprecedented circumstances, the fighters always felt their story had another chapter left.
Diaz and Masvidal will take on each other in a boxing ring on June 1, 2024. The fight will be streamed live on Fanmio. Recently, tickets for the fight have gone on sale and the PPV price has been set at $79.99.
The Baddest Tour.
Watch it live on @fanmio YouTube. #DiazMasvidal pic.twitter.com/8VMeDjgocy
— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) April 8, 2024
To promote the fight, Diaz and Masvidal have gone on ‘The Baddest Tour’. They held media events in Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and California.
Fans reflect Sean O’Malley’s views concerning the hype around Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal
Many fans opened up about their disapproval of the boxing bout between Diaz and Masvidal. Fans believe the fight has not generated enough hype and it might not sell a lot of PPVs. One fan wrote, “Ain’t nobody want to watch this !!!!”
This shit has zero hype.
— . (@RevengePW_) April 9, 2024
Some fans were brutal in their reactions. One wrote, “This sh*t has zero hype.” A second fan wrote, “We will not be watching washed MMA fighters fight in a boxing ring.” A third fan wrote, “Pretty sure i would not even watch the free stream of this sh*t.” A fourth fan wrote, “Looking for anyone who asked for this.”
Another factor to consider is the blockbuster schedule in June for combat sports enthusiasts. Moreover, on the day of Diaz vs. Masvidal, there are two big events as well.
Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal clashes with UFC 302 and Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol
On June 1, 2024, a blockbuster UFC PPV has been scheduled. UFC 302, set to take place in Newark, New Jersey, will feature Islam Makhachev defending his UFC Lightweight Championship against Dustin Poirier. In the co-main event, a middleweight bout between former champion Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa has also been set up.
New Jersey, we’re bringing you a main event you don’t want to miss! 👊@MAKHACHEVMMA & @DustinPoirier will meet in the Octagon at #UFC302!#VisitNJ | @Visit_NJ | @PruCenter pic.twitter.com/gaKSlVWlle
— UFC (@ufc) April 16, 2024
Also, on the same day, one of the biggest boxing bouts in years will go down in Saudi Arabia. Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) will finally meet to crown an undisputed light-heavyweight world champion.
Among these blockbuster fights, Diaz vs. Masvidal might lack the charm. The hype would have been real if they were to take each other on inside the Octagon. However, in the boxing ring, they are not expected to bring the same level of hype.