LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nate Diaz will return to mixed martial arts for the first time in nearly four years when he fights fellow brawler Mike Perry on the undercard of Ronda Rousey's meeting with Gina Carano.
Most Valuable Promotions on Monday announced the latest addition to the Netflix card scheduled for May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The bout is scheduled for five rounds at the 170-pound welterweight limit.
Diaz, who turns 41 next month,
hasn't fought in a cage since September 2022, when he choked out Tony Ferguson in his final bout for the UFC. The California native is best known for splitting two memorable fights against Conor McGregor a decade ago in a rivalry that exponentially boosted both fighters' star power.
Diaz also took two big-money boxing matches in the past three years. He lost a decision in 2023 to Jake Paul, the social media star-turned-boxer whose company is promoting the Rousey-Carano show, before beating his former UFC rival, Jorge Masvidal, in 2024.
“Glad to be back in action. It’s time,” Diaz said. “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."
The 34-year-old Perry fought for the UFC until 2021, establishing a reputation for exciting bouts and troubled behavior outside the cage. He also lost a boxing match to Paul, getting stopped by the YouTuber in July 2024.
After losing seven of his final 10 fights for the UFC, Perry has since made a successful move into bare-knuckle boxing, where he is 6-0. His MMA bout with Diaz will be his first time in a cage since 2021.
Diaz-Perry is the third bout announced for the first MMA show for Paul's burgeoning promotional company, which is showcasing combat sports icons whose fame far outstrips the current crop of relatively anonymous UFC champions.
Former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou is also fighting Brazil's Philipe Lins in Inglewood.
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