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Jake Paul thinks Nate Diaz, a former UFC champion, will be his next opponent after he defeats Tommy Fury on Sunday.
When discussing the possibility of squaring off against Diaz, Paul stated the following on The MMA Hour:
"I think [Nate Diaz's team is] ready. I'm getting through Sunday and we're gonna line that one up ASAP. I think that's next. Probably mid-year, maybe sometime summer.
"I think that's what the fans want, and that's who I want. There's been a lot of back and forth, we've said our stuff, but it's time to get down to business."
Even though Paul vs. Diaz would probably be a big draw in the world of combat sports, Paul must first face Fury, who is undoubtedly the toughest opponent of his brief boxing career thus far.
Paul has a perfect record of 6-0 in six professional fights, but to this point, he has only fought a YouTuber, a former NBA player, and a few former MMA fighters. The first professional fighter he has faced will be Fury.
Uncertainty surrounds whether Paul's contest with the younger half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury will have any effect on a potential encounter with Diaz, but the UFC veteran is unquestionably in Paul's sights.
Paul added that he would like to face Diaz in both a boxing match and MMA fight, but noted he isn't certain if Diaz is open to that: "I want to do one fight boxing, one fight MMA, but I'm not sure if Nate's team is like fully aligned on that yet. Or I don't know if they realize how serious I am about that. I think they thought I was just doing it for hype, but I'm dead ass."
Diaz, 37, has been a professional MMA fighter since 2004, and he first entered into UFC in 2007 as part of The Ultimate Fighter.
Despite competing against some of the biggest stars in the sport, including McGregor, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Benson Henderson, Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, and Jorge Masvidal, Diaz never took home a UFC championship.
At UFC 279 in September, Diaz competed in his final match under his deal with the organization and defeated Tony Ferguson by fourth-round submission.
Diaz was a fan favorite throughout his UFC career because of his frank demeanor and propensity for exciting fights, which made him seem like the ideal opponent for Paul and a perfect match for the world of boxing.