A pair of incredibly experienced MMA fighters will rematch in the boxing ring later this year.
Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will face off in a 10-round boxing match on June 1, as first reported by Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour.” The match will take place at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California, USA, and will be held at a weight limit of 175 pounds.
Online streaming service Fanmio will carry the event through a pay-per-view system. Viewers will be able to purchase the event for $79.99. A discounted price of $49.99 will also be offered until April 12.
Diaz and Masvidal faced off at UFC 244 in 2019, fighting for the bragging rights “BMF Championship.” Masvidal won in the main event of their Madison Square Garden fight, as a cut on Diaz’s face forced a doctor stoppage following three rounds of action.
The upcoming fight will be Masvidal’s first appearance since he announced his retirement last year.
Masvidal’s win against Diaz remains the last victory he secured in MMA. He went on to lose a pair of title shots to Kamaru Usman, then stepped away from fighting in 2023 after dropping fights to Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns. A chance to beat Diaz once again has brought Masvidal back into fighting just a year after he decided to stop.
“He’s always touted about how good his boxing is,” said Masvidal, when discussing his upcoming Diaz fight on The MMA Hour. “So when the opportunity came for me to unretire and do something like this, I was very motivated.”
Masvidal, an MMA vet of more than 50 fights, has remained visible in the combat sports world since his retirement last year. He is the current promoter of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA, a Florida-based promotion that has held events since 2021. Their last event, which took place a couple of weeks ago, saw Junior dos Santos defeat Alan Belcher in the main event.
Diaz departed the UFC roster in 2022 following a win over Tony Ferguson, ending his 22-fight run in the promotion. He has made one combat sports appearance since then, losing a boxing match to Jake Paul last August.
The upcoming fight won’t be Masvidal’s first boxing appearance. Nearly two decades ago, Masvidal went four rounds against Joseph Benjamin for a decision victory in Miami, Florida.
