Former light heavyweight champion of the world Jean Pascal has joined the boxer vs. mixed martial artist trend by calling out UFC welterweight Nick Diaz, but is this more a media exercise than a genuine offer to fight?
The debate of boxer vs. MMA fighter in MMA rules was seemingly settled by Randy Couture in his first round submission over boxing great James Toney in 2010. Toney, who was a multi-weight world champion and is widely considered a future hall of famer, was taken down within seconds before being submitted by Couture.
The debate of who would win when the codes crossed died down pretty much after that, before being moderately resurrected by talk of an Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr. bout under “Queensberry Rules” in 2012. Following the (at times overbearing) news of a potential super fight between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing luminary Floyd Mayweather Jr. over the last year or so, numerous accommodating boxers and willing MMA fighters have emerged from the woodwork looking for their piece of the pie.
The latest boxer to target an MMA fighter to lace up gloves is former light heavyweight world champion, Jean Pascal. The 34-year-old Haitian-Canadian told TMZ Sports recently that he would like to welcome the UFC’s very own Nick Diaz into the squared circle. Pascal’s motives for singling out the Stockton native, you might ask? Well, to show the world that MMA fighters can’t box, and to counter Diaz’s supposed propensity to trash talk with some of his own:
“THE UFC FIGHTERS, THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT THEY CAN FIGHT, THAT THEY CAN BOX, BUT I DON’T SEE THAT,” PASCAL TELLS THE TMZ INTERVIEWER. “NICK DIAZ TALKS A LOT OF TRASH AND HE NEVER HAD SOMEONE WHO CAN TALK BACK TO HIM LIKE I CAN DO.”
Pascal, who held the lineal light heavyweight championship between 2009-11 was keen to clarify that he had no intention of taking his ire with Diaz into the octagon, however:
“WITH BOXING RULES. I DON’T CLAIM I CAN GO ON THE FLOOR,” PASCAL INSISTED. “ON THE FLOOR WITH A MAN, THAT’S NOT MY THING.”
“I’M PRETTY SURE THAT I CAN WHOOP HIS ASS BECAUSE I’M A FIGHTER, NOT A UFC WRESTLER. BOXING IS AN ART. I CAN TELL DIAZ, ‘WHY DON’T YOU COME OUT OF YOUR REDNECK COUNTRY AND FIGHT ME IN A REAL CITY LIKE MONTREAL, CAUSE THAT S**T CAN BE SOLD OUT.”
It is worth pointing out that the current light heavyweight champion of the world is none other than American Olympian Andre Ward, who is also a friend and training partner of the Diaz brothers. It is not beyond all realms of possibility that Pascal is indirectly trying to get the attention of Ward by this verbal assault on Diaz. The undefeated Ward has, after all, stated that both Nick and Nate Diaz could “hold their own” with him inside the ropes in sparring sessions.
Could Pascal be harnessing the energy surrounding the potential super fight between Mayweather Jr. and McGregor? By calling out Diaz he is almost guaranteed exposure given the effect the “Billion Dollar Fight” has had on global sports media. Pascal will be aware that in reality, persuading a fighter who has not even competed in his own sport since January 2015 into the ring is absurd, so the motives behind his call out could be to raise his own profile off the back of this recent trend. Once he has the attention of fans and the media, campaigning for a title shot will be much easier.
While a bout between Pascal and Diaz is extremely unlikely to happen, the Haitian-Canadian’s move is a perfect example of the existing trend in boxers calling out MMA fighters (and vice versa) for a bite of the ripe apple of publicity. Hopping on the bandwagon crafted by Conor McGregor and Mayweather Jr. is the done thing nowadays, so why not? One thing is for certain, however, and that is that both “TBE” and “The Notorious” will undoubtedly be laughing at their imitators.