Fan favorite Nate Diaz is set to return to mixed martial arts for the first time in nearly four years, taking on Mike Perry in a five-round welterweight matchup on May 16. The bout will take place at the Intuit Dome and stream on Netflix as part of a major fight card promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, the company co-founded by Jake Paul.
The fight will follow the Unified Rules of MMA and take place inside a hexagon cage over five five-minute rounds, with the event headlined by a highly anticipated showdown between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano at 145 pounds. Another marquee matchup features former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou against former PFL tournament winner Philipe Lins, giving the card three major fights as the promotion and streaming platform enter the MMA market.
A longtime star of the sport, Diaz (21-13) built his reputation through victories over fighters such as Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, along with a memorable rivalry with Conor McGregor that included a famous 2016 submission win. He also fought Masvidal in 2019 for the UFC’s symbolic “BMF” title. The veteran has not competed in MMA since September 2022, when he submitted Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in the final fight of his UFC contract. Since leaving the organization, the Stockton, California native shifted his focus to boxing. He dropped a decision to Jake Paul in 2023 before earning a victory in a 2024 rematch with Jorge Masvidal.
Diaz said in a statement: “Glad to be back in action. It’s time. Don’t forget where this all came from. I got plans on doing a lot more in the next 10 years, no matter where it is. Time to set the bar again, so get ready for a new takeover again and again until the end of time.”
His opponent, Perry (14-8), is also returning to MMA after reinventing himself in bare-knuckle boxing. The former UFC fighter has gone undefeated in six bouts with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, defeating several former MMA contenders along the way and earning the promotion’s “King of Violence” title. Like Diaz, Perry also stepped into the boxing ring against Jake Paul in 2024, losing by sixth-round knockout. Perry said in a statement: ‘The King of Violence’ returns to MMA to elbow his opponent in the f—ing face. Saturday, May 16, on Netflix, Nate Diaz is going lights out.”
Executives from Most Valuable Promotions believe the event could be a landmark moment as the company expands beyond boxing. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said: “MVP delivered the most-viewed boxing event since the advent of cable, and now we’re set to break records again with the biggest viewership in MMA history with the addition of Diaz-Perry to Rousey-Carano and Ngannou-Lins Nate Diaz is the real BMF, and Mike Perry is the ‘King of Violence.’ This will be a war from the first press conference all the way to the end when one of them has their hand raised. It’s an absolutely massive night of fights in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 16th, as we continue building some of the biggest global events in combat sports. Thank you to Netflix for believing in our vision. The future of MMA is bright.”
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