Jake Paul defeats MMA icon Nate Diaz on points in back-and-forth scrap

Jake Paul has defeated Nate Diaz, securing a victory courtesy of the judges' scorecards.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer showed great improvements since his last bout, sticking to his jab and moving much quicker than the former MMA star, even managing to drop Diaz in the fifth round with a perfectly-timed right hand.

But man, how tough is Nate.

The UFC icon proved just how durable he is, standing in the pocket and taking some heavy punches – he even dragged Paul into deep waters in the later rounds.

However, it wasn't enough in the end and Paul that got his hand raised in back-and-forth war of attrition where both men took turns in going blow-for-blow.

Jake Paul came out swinging in the first round, bombarding the former UFC star with a barrage of punches.

But Diaz weathered the storm and stayed standing, taking his time to work out the former Disney actor's movements.

And in the second and third rounds, momentum began to sway towards Diaz – fighting from the inside and catching Paul a couple of times.

In the fifth round, though, Paul took the fight by the scruff of the neck and dropped Diaz with a clean shot to the temple.

Diaz was clearly rocked, stumbling into the ropes before eventually making his way to his feet.

He beat the referee's count, but when Paul tried to pile on more pressure and get the finish, Diaz did what he does best and dug deep.

Avoiding Paul's shots, the 38-year-old even managed to launch attacks of his own, despite being dazed and groggy.

Into the later rounds, Diaz's infamous gas tank was clear for all to see.

His endurance allowed him to continue to march forward and mount some decent attacks, even wobbling Jake in the dying embers of the eighth round.

But to be fair to Paul, he also showed some guts and managed to stick behind his jab and score points.

Throughout the entire bout, Diaz was showboating and pretending to be hurt – much to the enjoyment of those inside Dallas' American Airlines Center.

In the end, it was Paul who got his hand raised after coming out on top in the eyes of the judges.

Overall, it was a very entertaining fight and one that should be run back – this time in a steel cage and with four ounce gloves.