Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz did their reputation of being the “bad boys” of combat sports justice as they involved themselves in a brawl following the launch press conference of their July 6th fight; set to be staged at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Another notable event during the press conference was the announcement of a 168 lbs bout between former world champion Danny Jacobs and middleweight contender Shane Mosley Jr who are set to join the card in its co-main event. The card will be promoted by Masvidal’s combat sports promotion, Gamebred Promotions.
Danny Jacobs had thought to have been retired after he last lost by split-decision to the now-retired John Ryder in 2022. However, the cancer survivor is now attempting to rekindle his career with a fight against Shane Mosley Jr (21-4, 12 KO’s)―mostly known for being the son of retired former world champion Shane Mosley.
The two American contenders are set to compete in a 10-round bout at super middleweight; a division to which both fighters are familiar with―particularly Jacobs whose last couple of fights before his long absence from the ring took place at 168 lbs. No title has been confirmed to be on the line but as 10-rounders are often significant, the winner is likely set to occupy a spot in the top 10 of any of the four main sanctioning bodies.
Despite the perceived significance of their bout, which is sure to affect the 168 lbs rankings, the match will be taking a backseat to the headlining bout between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz; neither of whom boast a notable resume or experience in boxing and are not expected to compete seriously within the sport after their July 7th fight. The two are also set to fight in a 10-round bout which will take place at light-heavyweight.
While both Masvidal and Diaz have prior pro boxing experience, the only fight counting on Masivdal’s record is a 2005 fight where he narrowly won by majority decision against another fighter with a losing record. In comparison, Diaz’ record is arguably as or more underwhelming with his only fight in boxing to date concerning a unanimous decision (UD) loss to Jake Paul.
Despite the lack of pro boxing credentials of either of the headlining fighters, the two are well-known in combat sports for their MMA careers, having both carved respectable careers within the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Additionally, their pro boxing bout will be a rematch of their 2019 UFC match where the symbolic “BMF” [Baddest M***** F*****] belt had been introduced for the first time for their fight. The introduction of the BMF title was meant to commemorate the winner, with both fighters having been known as two of the most memorable trash talkers over the past decade.
Masvidal eventually came out on top in the 2019 UFC bout against Diaz by technical knockout (TKO) but due to the highly-controversial nature of Diaz’ stoppage―by a doctor who had deemed the cut Diaz suffered too severe for him to continue, a rematch had both been warranted and expected only to never emerge in the UFC.
Boxing has now been chosen as the stage where the two fighters can re-stage their long overdue rematch, with most indicators suggesting the fight will be a 50-50 contest based on several factors to make for an exciting match despite the actual boxing experience of both competitors.
Further fights for the Gamebred Promotions card will be announced in due course over the next couple of weeks.
