‘He’s a dog, and I walked the dog’: Everything Jake Paul said post-fight
Jake Paul breaks down his win over Nate Diaz and his desire for an MMA rematch.
Jake Paul was all smiles after his win over Nate Diaz on Saturday night, crediting his team for a “new look” and style in the ring, and also going further into his desire for an MMA rematch.
Paul (7-1, 4 KO) did credit Diaz as being his toughest opponent to date, and called him a “warrior.”
“It’s what I expected. That’s what he’s known for,” Paul said at the post-fight press conference. “I don’t know how he survived the first round, but he’s a dog, and I walked the dog.”
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Paul also said that Diaz legitimately did get a guillotine on him in the ninth round as the two grappled, and laughed off the incident — then predicted how he’d handle that in the cage, if he gets Diaz to face him in PFL.
“He fuckin’ choked me! He was actually choking me!” he said with a smile. “I was, like, ‘Aw, this is crazy!’ I didn’t think he was gonna stop, but he had it in. Obviously, I’m not gonna try to defend it, but it’s just funny.
“But yeah, man, that’s why I wanna do it (again) in MMA. I’m with all the shit. If it was MMA, I would have dropped to a double leg, picked him up, and dropped him on his head.”
Everything Jake Paul said at the post-fight presser
On his “new” style and look as a fighter
“I’m a new fighter. It’s the new team we brought in, the new strength and conditioning. ... Everything was new and I worked harder this camp. They pushed me to my limits. There was times in the gym where I was sitting there, like, ‘Damn, I don’t even know if I can do this,’ but I just kept on believing in myself. Now my gas tank is crazy. I could have kept on going. I could have went 12 rounds. We’re just stepping up, and to do (10 rounds) after three years, I’m happy with myself.”
On holding back after trying for a knockout
“My motor was running hot, and I was punching him hard, and he wasn’t going down, he was standing there. I didn’t want to burn out and then let him catch a wind and come back with something. I was being patient, being smart, and looking for the kill, but at the end of the day, he withstood a bunch of big, big punches.”
On fighting an “erratic” opponent
“It was fun! I knew he was trying to take breaks, so I would pounce on him. We were talking to each other the whole fight, man. He was saying words I can’t repeat here. (laughing) I was, like, ‘Where’s all that talk now?’ Pop! ‘Gotcha! Shut up!’ Boom! It was fun. When you’re in there with another dog, like, you can sense it, and it just makes the sport more fun, and this fight was probably the most memorable yet.”
On feeling a weight off his shoulders after getting back with a win
“There’s this pressure off, and I know that I’m meant to be here. I did exactly what I said I was going to do. When I lost, I came back and got better and showed the world how to lose on the biggest stage, and come back and win on the biggest stage. It goes to show for anyone out there that’s losing — it may be a boxing match, it may be in life. Take the L on the chin, get up the next day, and get back. Don’t stop.”
“The loss seriously was the best thing. It set me on the path that I was supposed to be on. You can’t cut corners in this sport. I was in the gym the day after the loss. ... I knew I was gonna get back and come back stronger.”
On Logan Paul flying in directly from WWE SummerSlam in Detroit
“It was just crazy that my brother was there, and when his energy entered into the locker room, everything felt perfect. It just felt like this was gonna be our night. I was just having fun and that was the missing ingredient the last fight. I’m having fun.”
On where Nate Diaz ranks among his opponents
“Nate was the toughest person I’ve fought yet to date, for sure.”
On anything learned in the fight
“The confidence in knowing I can go 10 rounds with non-stop power punching is really great experience. Just getting more and more comfortable in the ring. Learning to box, learning to slow things down, seeing things with vision, clear. That experience is priceless.”
On Conor McGregor Tweeting about the fight
“I don’t care about that guy. He needs to go to rehab. I want Nate in MMA, I want more professional boxers, and I want Canelo.”
On training in the Kronk style
“That Kronk attitude that Third (Chambers) brought to the gym every single day — it was really that balance, that footwork, and not letting me make any mistakes. It was a game-changer. He pushed me hard with the punches and power punching and 20 rounds, 25 rounds, sparring more than I ever have before. That’s what prepared me to go 10 rounds with an absolute warrior.”
On whether Nate Diaz was surprised by his power
“For sure. I could see it the whole fight. In the first round, I seen his eyes light up and he was, like, ‘OK.’ They talk about (my) power, but when you feel it, it’s different.”