Nate Diaz and Mike Perry faced off in a welterweight battle at MVP MMA’s Rousey vs. Carano card at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday.
While billed as one of three “main events,” the fight was in fact the penultimate bout of the evening, serving as co-headliner on a night that had seen impressive performances from the likes of Salahdine Parnasse and Francis Ngannou, among others.
Early on, Diaz worked his jab, and the pair clinched up moments later, with Perry landing first one elbow, then another. Diaz appeared to be briefly overwhelmed, then landed a throw. A gamechanger, but just as quickly it was Mike Perry on top! Perry briefly got back up, but opted to re-engage, landing a few solid shots before Diaz tied up a leg.
When they got back up, Diaz was looking rough, and Perry went back to work with some heavy shots to the body. Diaz appeared to be in real trouble, and had slowed, but at the end of the round, with about a minute on the clock, he landed two or three solid blows on Perry. Diaz was bloodied, but with his historic scar tissue that was nothing new.
Round two saw Diaz double up on his jab early, and land a right hook to the side of Perry’s head. Perry, like Diaz, was bloodied. He fanned on an elbow, but connected with a few uppercuts and a combo. Diaz was getting lit up, uppercuts, elbows, rights, all connecting.
Diaz’s face was a wall of blood now. He was staggering, but refusing to go down. Perry took the back, and almost went after a standing rear-naked choke. That didn’t last, and Diaz found some space. He was doing a lot of retreating, however, and had his back to the cage far too much. Perry, meanwhile, came in with a knee, and Diaz went to his back. Perry dropped an elbow, and Diaz went after an arm-bar with no success whatsoever. Diaz was durable, but slow, bloodied, and not looking at all like the Nate Diaz of old. When he climbed back to his feet, ref holding off Perry, it was almost in slow motion.
Perry, again, ripped the body, while Diaz threw a slow-motion kick while leaning on the fence. Right at the end of the round, Perry fired a big knee that connected, sending Diaz tumbling down. He survived the round, though the ref could be overheard saying he was calling time so Diaz could be checked over. Whatever the doc saw, it didn’t matter, as Diaz’s corner threw in the towel.
Official Result: Mike Perry def. Nate Diaz by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 2, 5:00
