Diaz: I’m not really impressed with Paul Daley
Well, that’s what he does, Diaz said. He’s like what he said: You know, he throws punches. I’ll try to…
Well, that’s what he does, Diaz said. He’s like what he said: You know, he throws punches. I’ll try to win. I’ll take what I can get. I’ll try to win any way necessary, any way I can win. That’s how I started this; I didn’t start out just a boxer, you know.
So that’s what he’s trying to do, what he’s got to do. I understand that. So I’m over here, I’m trying to get paid, and I got to do what I got to do. He’s got to do what he’s got to do. That’s what he’s – that sounds good for him too. You know, he knocks me out, that sounds nice, that whole thing, you know? I mean, that’s a lovely thought for anybody who’s a striker.
Daley winds up like a pitcher trying to throw a record fastball, corkscrewing his entire body into a punch. Diaz doesn’t have anywhere near the kind of power that Daley does.
He recognized the need for diversity in his game, so he’s traveled to Oakland, Calif., to train with Andre Ward, the World Boxing Association super middleweight champion and one of the finest boxers in the world.
The difference in Diaz’s standup is dramatic, particularly in comparison to his UFC days. Diaz has laser-like accuracy. Though his shots aren’t exactly one-punch knockout blows, they are plenty effective. His striking game is more akin to Chinese Water Torture. He doesn’t have that Daley fastball, but his punches land. And land. And land. And land.
Though not one of those blows does significant damage individually, they take their toll as they land repeatedly.
After defeating Evangelista Santos on Jan. 29 in a stirring standup battle, Diaz was asked about Daley at the postfight news conference. He responded in typical Diaz fashion, as blunt as one of his jabs to the nose.
I’m not really impressed with Paul Daley, Diaz said. I’m a mixed martial artist. He’s got great standup, sure. He has good knockout power.
