GRADES: JAKE PAUL, NATE DIAZ, AMANDA SERRANO, ASHTON SYLVE & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

So, it wasn't the busiest weekend, to say the very least. This is a relatively slow time of the year, so it's to be expected. Outside of a couple of minor shows, we really only had the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz card to take a look at.

That's still a weird thing to type.

In any event, we did see Paul return to winning ways with a decision over Diaz, so there's that. On the undercard, we saw female Featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano easily taek care of former titlist Heather Hardy.

We also saw the latest performance from talented Lightweight prospect Ashton Slyve, who took less than a handful of rounds to dispatch of William Silva.

So, without much more ado, let's hand out these Grades:

JAKE PAUL

GRADE: B-

RESULT: DEF. NATE DIAZ, 10UD (CRUISERWEIGHT)

It's a bit of a mixed bag for America's favorite(?) Paul brother.

On the one hand, Paul showed some signs of improvement in his win over Nate Diaz. When he had his counterpart hurt in the first round, Paul didn't rush his work, he was in more control of himself in that moment.

Also, considering he's not a lifetime boxer and has yet to crack more than 10 pro outings, it's impressive than Paul was able to make it through ten rounds relatively unscathed.

The question is whether or not this will ever translate to a fight with a real life, genuine boxer. While I'm not the biggest critic of crossover boxing at all, Paul himself is the one intent of being taken seriously as a pro. For that, he'll need to have a similar opponent against someone that has a bit more boxing experience and is closer to Paul in age.

Until then, we can't make too much out of a Paul victory.

NATE DAIZ

GRADE: C

RESULT: LOSS TO JAKE PAUL, 10UD (CRUISERWEIGHT)

Well, considering the circumstances, this wasn't the worst performance for Nate Diaz.

Be honest: What did you really expect Diaz to do in there? He's 38-years-old (facing someone in the prime of their life), had never boxed professionally, and was in against a much bigger fighter naturally in Jake Paul.

When you factor in all aspects of the fight, you get a good sense that Diaz making it to the final round was something of an accomplishment. Especially after a pretty rough first round.

Did I see anything that made me believe Diaz needs to be fighting in the squared circle? No. But I can't say he embarrassed himself, or that he was boring in there. He showed up, did his best, and entertained.

About what I expected.

AMANDA SERRANO

GRADE: A

RESULT: DEF. HEATHER HARDY, 10UD (FEATHERWEIGHT)

Coming off an injury to her hand, Amanda Serrano couldn't have looked much better, or picked much better an opponent to come back and face.

Back in 2019, Serrano picked Heather Hardy apart over the distance, snatching away the Featherweight gold in the process. Now, after a bit of a layoff and looking to get back into the swing of things, Serrano earned an even more emphatic win over Hardy once more.

Serrano didn't seem rusty a bit, was putting solid force into her shots (which is good news for her healed hand), and never seemed to wither during the contest. Serrano also never over-committed and grew frustrated with the resilient Hardy refusing to go away.

Serrano was poised, took care of business, and made sure to avoid getting tagged too clean, getting cut or getting injured once more. About as a good a result as you can hope for if you're Serrano.

HEATHER HARDY

GRADE: D+

RESULT: LOSS TO AMANDA SERRANO, 10UD (FEATHERWEIGHT)

The one positive thing I can come up with for Heather Hardy is that she is tough. Within only a handful of rounds against Amanda Serrano, Hardy was busted up, hopefully behind...and still fighting.

Outside of her toughness, there wasn't much you could credit Hardy for on the night.

The pair originally met in 2019, and Hardy showed then she was a level or two below her Puerto Rican counterpart, losing a wide decision. Making matters worse in 2023? The decision was somehow even wider.

Since 2019, Hardy has fought 5 times (including the pair of Serrano fights), and holds a record of 2-3. At the age of 41, with a less-than-impressive run of form, it might be time Hardy thinks about stepping away from the ring.

ASHTON SYLVE

GRADE: A

RESULT: DEF. WILLIAM SILVA, 4KO (LIGHTWEIGHT)

Sometimes, it's tough to grade these younger fighters on the rise. Effectively, Ashton Slyve did exactly what he was supposed to do against an overmatched William Silva. Sylve took control immediately, drop down his man several times, and got him out of there.

That said, this wasn't meant to really be much of a step up or a challenge for the California native, and it wasn't. Sylve was a massive favorite and looked like it for every second of the contest.

Ultimately, it still comes across as a good performance. He's just entered double-digits in terms of his total fights. These are the guys Sylve should be facing, and should be handling them well.

In that regard, it couldn't have been much better a perfo0rmance.

LINKS:

- SCHEDULE & ODDS

- RESULTS

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