Diaz appears to slap the member of Jake Paul's team in an backstage altercation on Saturday
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Nate Diaz was involved in a backstage altercation with a member of Jake Paul’s team, prior to the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s win over Anderson Silva on Saturday night. 

The MMA star appeared to slap a member of Paul’s entourage in the face during an incident caught on camera that occurred between the two camps.

It is not clear what provoked the backstage fracas, but it was quickly shut down following the apparent slap from Diaz. 

Paul continued his successful transition into boxing in the night’s main event, by beating Silva – the 25-year-old’s sixth straight victory. After the fight, in his press conference,  he turned his attention to Diaz and the altercation with his team. 

Diaz appears to slap the member of Jake Paul's team in an backstage altercation on Saturday

Diaz appears to slap the member of Jake Paul's team in an backstage altercation on Saturday

Diaz appears to slap the member of Jake Paul’s team in an backstage altercation on Saturday 

The incident is quickly shut down and Diaz is asked to walkaway from the situation by staff

The incident is quickly shut down and Diaz is asked to walkaway from the situation by staff

The incident is quickly shut down and Diaz is asked to walkaway from the situation by staff 

Jake said: ‘Nate Diaz was here acting like a bitch.

‘Everyone wants that fight. He tried to fight people in the hallway. 

‘Nate, stop fighting people for free, let’s do it in the ring, okay?

‘I know you’re a little slow buddy, but it’s okay, we can make that fight happen.’

 ‘It’s typical of him, that’s what he likes to do, he’s a street gangster.

‘He likes to act tough and he’s really not.

‘Why are you trying to beat someone up in a hallway bro?’

Nate Diaz was ringside for the fight and got to see Jake Paul's victory over Anderson Silva

Nate Diaz was ringside for the fight and got to see Jake Paul's victory over Anderson Silva

Nate Diaz was ringside for the fight and got to see Jake Paul’s victory over Anderson Silva 

Having disposed of Silva, Paul has now challenged Diaz to a match, with the 37-year-old now out of contract with the UFC and having teased a crossover to boxing. 

Paul won with an unanimous decision against Silva – punctuating the victory with his eighth-round knockdown – as he continues his quest for respect after starting to take boxing seriously just three years ago.

‘It’s surreal,’ Paul added. ‘I don’t think it’ll hit me until a couple weeks from now. I feel like I’m living in a movie. (Silva) was the one that told me I could accomplish anything if I set my mind to it. You couldn’t have written this in a story.’

‘I had to go in there and match his heart tonight,’ Paul continued. ‘The heart that I saw through the TV screen when I was a kid.’

The entertaining fight went the eight-round distance and the final round was a doozy, with Paul’s big right hand sending Silva to the canvas. The 47-year-old Silva was able to continue and even landed some punches in the final minute, but it wasn’t enough to sway the judges.

Jake Paul dominated the match and kept up his unbeaten record which stands at 6-0 so far

Jake Paul dominated the match and kept up his unbeaten record which stands at 6-0 so far

Jake Paul dominated the match and kept up his unbeaten record which stands at 6-0 so far 

The YouTuber-turned-boxer floored former MMA star Silva in the eighth round of the fight

The YouTuber-turned-boxer floored former MMA star Silva in the eighth round of the fight

The YouTuber-turned-boxer floored former MMA star Silva in the eighth round of the fight 

‘That wasn’t even the hardest punch of the night,’ Paul said. ‘It was just the timing.’

The fight was slow to develop with Silva rarely throwing punches in the opening round, but the Brazilian landed a few hard shots in the second round, dancing around the ring while avoiding Paul’s biggest blows. Both fighters exchanged some taunts in the early rounds but the bravado gave way to concentration as both realized it would be a lengthy fight.

Paul held his own during the middle rounds – with blood coming from Silva’s nose – but couldn’t land most of his powerful swings. That started to change in the later rounds as the younger Paul gained confidence and the punches started connecting.

Two judges scored the fight 78-73 while a third scored it 77-74.

‘He took so many hard shots throughout the whole fight,’ Paul said. ‘The dude is a real dog. You see what happens to everyone else that gets hit with that. He’s the toughest guy in the world but I just wanted it more.’

Boxing's crossovers continued to be a success with 14,000 fans in attendance for the fight

Boxing's crossovers continued to be a success with 14,000 fans in attendance for the fight

Boxing’s crossovers continued to be a success with 14,000 fans in attendance for the fight 

It was a spectacle in front of more than 14,000 fans that mixed boxing and all different types of celebrity, but the main draw was the 25-year-old Paul, who has shown a surprising knack for skills in the ring. He’s also a master of self-promotion, riding up to Wednesday’s open workout on a horse and walking around Desert Diamond Arena on Saturday with two people in gigantic Transformers-like outfits behind him.

Silva (3-2) was the fan favourite, receiving loud cheers when he entered the ring. He built his fame as a UFC star but got his start in boxing and returned to the sport in 2020.

‘That’s the game,’ Silva said. ‘Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But nothing will change in my life. I’ll continue training hard because I’m born for this.’

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