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TMZSports.com
Jake Paul‘s fight against Nate Diaz was on the same level as one of the most popular fights in combat sports history — so says former boxing champ Shawn Porter, who tells TMZ Sports Saturday’s event felt “just as big as” Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor!
Porter — who was on the mic in Dallas for the big matchup — said the vibes were off the charts throughout the Jake vs. Nate fight … calling the experience Super Bowl-esque.
“This was just as big as Mayweather and McGregor,” Porter emphatically told us on Monday.
FYI — Floyd vs. Conor is widely reported as the second-highest-selling fight in Pay-Per-View history (behind Floyd vs. Manny Pacquiao) … so to compare the energy at Jake vs. Nate to that is quite a compliment.
Of course, “Showtime” is no stranger to the biggest events in the sport — whether he competed in or attended them, he’s witnessed some electric crowds over the years.
But Porter said the spectator support of Diaz was second to none … adding, “I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
“MMA fans, man. They show up, they show out, they have a lot of fun and they are extremely loud. I was loving it.”
As for the fight, Shawn gave Jake a C grade on the night, despite getting the victory … explaining the Problem Child still has to work on finishing off his opponents after landing big punches.
There’s more — while Porter doesn’t see Jake reaching world championship contention, he would love to see the 7-1 fighter “ride this wave” and ignore the purists who want him to go against more boxers.