The combat sports world was left in shock earlier this week after Jorge Masvidal announced he was returning to action. Masvidal’s retirement lasted all of nine months before he was lured back in. Just a few days after his announcement, rumors of a boxing match against Nate Diaz started to circulate. While this might have fans excited, Chael Sonnen believes there is a huge problem that will hurt the PPV sales number.
In a recent YouTube video, Sonnen dived deeper into the fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. He went on to share his thoughts on why the fight will not sell as many PPVs as it could. He said:
“Ariel Helwani has now reported that Nate and Jorge are going to box in March. Guys that’s just not enough time. It’s as simple as that… it’s not enough time to educate the fans if you want to sell PPVs… If you have personal grudge, personal grudge trumps everything. I don’t know if they do.”
Sonnen further added:
“And if I don’t know if they do, it’s the same as if they don’t… It does not feel like unfinished business. It does not feel like something they want to do. It does not feel like something they are willing to sacrifice and risk for. There is no belt, there is no title, there is no ranking. It does not feel.”
‘Gamebred’ and Diaz are no strangers to each other. The pair previously fought for the infamous ‘BMF’ title at UFC 244. However, since then, it has all been downhill for Masvidal. Since leaving the UFC, Nate Diaz has fought once, a boxing match against Jake Paul.
Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz in a boxing match set for failure?
Masvidal vs. Diaz at UFC 244 was an extremely successful PPV. However, there were a lot of factors that worked in their favor. For starters, when the fight was made, Masvidal was fresh off his flying knee knockout win over Askren. Diaz, on the other hand, was fresh off a win against Anthony Pettis.
The fight was made at the right place at the right time. However, this time, both men are on the back of losses and disappointing performances. As Sonnen suggested, there does not seem like a good enough reason for a fan to buy a PPV. Whether this hypothesis will stand true is a question only time will tell.
