Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry Added to Rousey-Carano Card

By
Jay Anderson
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Nate Diaz UFC
Nate Diaz, UFC 241 open workouts Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press

As Netflix put it on Monday, buckle up.

Most Valuable Promotions, the upstart boxing promotion featuring Jake Paul, and the streaming giant are going all in on their first-ever MMA event. In addition to Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano and Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins, another massive bout has been added to the card:

Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry.

Fight fans can now circle May 16 as the biggest MMA event of the year, with apologies to the UFC’s “Freedom 250” card. That card might have more meaning to certain divisions inside the UFC, but for name value, Netflix and MVP have knocked it out of the park.

Diaz (21-13 MMA) exited the UFC in 2022 off a win over Tony Ferguson, after butting heads with the promotion over a new contract. Instead, he fought out his existing deal, then made his way into boxing, where he defeated old BMF rival Jorge Masvidal before losing a big-money bout to Jake Paul.

That fight, which was co-promoted between MVP and Diaz’s own production company, likely set up the foundation for Diaz to work with Paul once again. The pair have long been a match-up fans wanted to see in MMA for the sheer novelty of it— but Perry, a fellow former UFC star, is unquestionably the more appropriate fight.

Perry (14-8), like Diaz, parted ways with the UFC a few years back, off a loss to Daniel “D-Rod” Rodriguez. He made his way into boxing, losing to Jake Paul but winning BKFC’s “King of Violence” title in the bare-knuckle realm (and going as far as defending it against Jeremy Stephens last October, improving to 6-0 as a bare-knuckle boxer).

Neither fighter has fought in MMA since exiting the UFC, which if nothing else puts them on even footing. And the trash talk alone in this one should be legendary.

Netflix’s first foray into MMA alongside MVP takes place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA on May 16, 2026.

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