Michael Bisping believes Jake Paul was very strategic in picking Nate Diaz as his next opponent.
Diaz is the latest former UFC star to face Paul as he will make his boxing debut against the YouTuber-turned-boxer in a 185-pound, 10-round fight that takes place Aug. 5 in Dallas, Texas.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn recently gave a definitive prediction believing the fight wouldn't last more than four rounds in Paul's favor.
Bisping seems to be in agreement as he believes Diaz is a very smart pick for Paul.
“Jake’s the bigger, more explosive guy, and that’s why he’s picked this fight, you know what I mean?” Bisping said on his Believe You Me podcast (via MMA Junkie). “And I hope I eat my words. Of course I do. But it’s a very, very smart matchup. It’s a very smart pick.
“… In a mixed martial arts cage, in a UFC octagon, on the street, whatever, he’s not someone you want to trifle with. But you take away a lot of his skills and just rely on boxing only – he’s got good power. He wobbled Leon Edwards in that fifth round, he wobbled Conor McGregor in the second round, that’s how he got that win.
“I’m not ripping on Nate Diaz. But you never look and go, ‘He’s got blinding, lightening-fast hands.’ He could take a shot, he keeps going forward, he’s tough as nails, and he’s got great jiu-jitsu and grappling, and mixed martial arts skills. I think Eddie Hearn is right here.”
That's not to say Bisping is expecting Diaz to suffer the same fate as Tyron Woodley or Ben Askren by getting knocked out by Jake Paul.
After all, Diaz is extremely durable and with the bigger boxing gloves, there's also less chance of Diaz — who has plenty of scar tissue — to get cut and have the fight potentially stopped by a doctor.
“Yeah, but hold on a minute, with the boxing gloves and no other weapons – yes, of course, cuts can happen with boxing gloves and we see that in boxing all the time,” Bisping added. “But in MMA with the smaller gloves with the knees, with the elbows, there’s definitely a higher chance of getting cut.”
Diaz last competed in September when he submitted Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in what would be the last fight on his deal.