It appears the calvary may be coming to snatch up the undercard places for the August 5 boxing card in Dallas.
The event, set to air globally on DAZN pay-per-view from the American Airlines Center, will be headlined by a long-awaited clash between former UFC star Nate Diaz and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
While the pair have long gone back and forth over a potential contest, dating back to even before the Stockton native fought out his UFC contract last September, Diaz isn’t the only mixed martial arts veteran who’s had their sights set on “The Problem Child.”
Another who’s long been in pursuit of the former Disney star is Vitor Belfort, a former UFC light heavyweight champion who’s competed in numerous boxing matches since retiring from professional MMA in 2018.
And following the Brazilian’s latest outing, a unanimous decision victory over Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza under the Gamebred Boxing banner at the start of this month, “The Phenom” once again called for a match against Paul.
But with the 26-year-old Cleveland native now booked opposite Diaz, Belfort has readjusted his aim to a different Paul.
Vitor Belfort Adjusts Sights To The Older Logan Paul
In an Instagram post, which was transcribed by Brazilian news outlet Ag. Fight before its deletion, Belfort called out Jake’s brother Logan Paul for the co-main event of the August 5 card.
Belfort called on Dana White to aid the booking, seemingly taking a jab at the UFC’s drinks partnership with Paul’s Prime Hydration, before pitching a ‘winner faces the main event victor’ stipulation.
“Dana White, tell your boy to man up and fight me. Let’s do the co-main event for the fight between Nate Diaz and your brother Jake,” Belfort wrote. “The winner of that fight takes the winner of our fight. Go get ready and fight me. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
In addition to his victory over Souza a few weeks ago, Belfort also knocked out boxing great Evander Holyfield in a controversial exhibition contest at a 2021 Triller Fight Club event.
At the age of 46, “The Phenom” clearly feels he has more to give in combat sports. As has been the case with many MMA vets, the Brazilian is targeting some of the biggest celebrities involved in the crossover boxing scene.
Logan Paul, however, may be an unrealistic callout. “The Maverick” has recently entered the professional wrestling realm, finding success under the prominent WWE banner.
And having signed a new contract with the organization earlier this month, many fans are expecting Paul to make an appearance at the SummerSlam event, which falls on August 5, the same day as his brother’s boxing clash with Diaz.