Diaz defeats Masvidal in a classic showdown

ANAHEIM, Calif.-- The highly anticipated match between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal met all expectations. After multiple date changes, the boxing bout was showcased on pay-per-view through Fanmio.

Diaz and Masvidal went 10 rounds, and the judges gave the win to Diaz in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,040 at The Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

The fighter from Stockton, CA, gave an impressive performance for his fans. He controlled the majority of the rounds and leveled the series with a win in the ring. This victory came after Masvidal's win in the Octagon five years ago at Madison Square Garden.

Coming into the fight, Masvidal had the momentum, but then Diaz walked out to the ring on Saturday night with the crowd chanting his name.

Masvidal landed 182 punches, while Diaz connected with 151. Despite Masvidal appearing to control the pace of the fight, the judges' decision was different. One judge scored it as a draw, while the other two judges gave the win to Diaz.

While the match was evenly fought, Masvidal stated after the fight that he didn't believe Diaz had won.

"I thought I won. I landed the harder shots," Masvidal said after the fight. "Win or lose, we're gonna do it again. We're 1-1, so we'll run it back."

In the first round, Masvidal landed 20 power punches while Diaz only connected with 12. Both fighters seemed focused on each other in the initial rounds. Masvidal appeared to be in control and landed more hits on Diaz, so those rounds likely went in his favor.

"I definitely felt that I landed the more meaningful shots. When the judges see the videos, they'll see they were misguided." Masvidal said.

Masvidal believed that the crowd played a role in Diaz winning the fight. He expressed interest in a potential rematch and suggested that it should take place at a neutral site in Las Vegas.

Diaz had the crowd's support throughout the entire night and he certainly lived up to their expectations.

"Mission accomplished. I feel the love here in Cali every time," Diaz said after the match. "He showed up and came to fight and so did I."

One judge scored the fight 95-95, but two other judges scored it 97-93 and 98-92 in favor of Diaz.

After defeating Masvidal, Diaz wants a rematch with Jake Paul, who beat him last summer.

"We just went in there to figure him out. Next, I'm gonna beat Jake Paul's ass. I'm down to fight the highest rated boxer I can find. My main objective is to be the best fighter in the world."

Diaz mentioned that Paul's name was the first to come to mind but he is open to facing other fighters, including a rematch with Masvidal.

The ending of this match had everyone on the edge of their seats, which is a good reason to have a rematch.

Masvidal's relentless action influenced the judges with his work rate, but his punches were undoubtedly far more powerful and damaging.