Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal ditch MMA for rematch in boxing June 1 - ESPN

A rematch of a marquee UFC headliner will happen in boxing.

Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will fight again June 1 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, in a boxing match, officials told ESPN on Wednesday. The two fought in MMA in the UFC 244 main event on Nov. 2, 2019 at Madison Square Garden, for the mythical BMF title. Masvidal won that bout via TKO (doctor's stoppage).

Diaz vs. Masvidal is contracted for 10 rounds at 175 pounds.

The event, distributed by Fanmio, will be dubbed «Last Man Standing.» A multi-city promotional tour is being planned.

Diaz and Masvidal, two of the UFC's biggest stars of this era, have since departed the promotion, Diaz as a free agent and Masvidal via retirement. The UFC approved Masvidal to take this fight, as he is still under contract. Diaz and Masvidal have been involved in three of the top 10 UFC pay-per-view events of all time.

Diaz made his pro boxing debut last August in a decision loss to YouTuber-turned-prize-fighter Jake Paul. Diaz went into that bout with an arm injury.

This will be Masvidal's return to competition after retiring in April 2023 following a UFC loss to Gilbert Burns.

Masvidal beat Diaz in the forth round at UFC 244 when the ringside physician halted the bout due to a Diaz cut. That is an impetus for the rematch. There is unfinished business. Masvidal wants to remove all doubt, while Diaz is out for revenge.

«Nate's a dead man walking,» Masvidal said in a statement. «I can't wait to prove that last time was no fluke. He got saved by the referee. Now we are boxing, which he says is his forte, but he's got no shot at beating me. I'm not going to give him an inch in that ring to even breathe. If he thought our MMA match was bad, this is going to be much worse. I'm