Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry joins Ronda Rousey’s star-studded Netflix MMA card

Nate Diaz and Mike Perry have jumped aboard Netflix’s maiden MMA voyage. The two fan-favorite fighters are set to face off in a five-round, 170-pound MMA bout on the May 16 event promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.

Diaz and Perry join a fast-growing card also featuring the return of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou against former PFL tournament champion Philipe Lins, creating a formidable trio of star-power fights for Rousey’s unexpected comeback. MVP announced the matchup Monday.

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Diaz (21-13 MMA) makes his MMA return for the first time since his successful UFC swan song against Tony Ferguson in September 2022. Renown for his 2016 upset victory over Conor McGregor and inspiring the UFC to create its BMF belt with his 2019 matchup against Jorge Masvidal, Diaz, 40, remains one of the biggest names in combat sports today.

Diaz has competed twice in professional boxing since his UFC departure, losing a 2023 decision to Jake Paul before beating Masvidal in a 2024 boxing rematch.

Perry (14-8 MMA) has also been a busy man since the last time he entered an MMA cage. Once an up-and-down UFC veteran, “Platinum” has reinvented himself as a ferocious face of bare-knuckle boxing with an undefeated six-fight run in BKFC against a slew of former UFC champions and contenders, including Michael Page, Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez.

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Similar to Diaz, Perry also boxed his new promoter, losing to Paul via sixth-round knockout in 2024.

MVP’s Rousey vs. Carano card takes place at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome and marks the official entry of both Netflix and MVP into the MMA space.

Rousey and Carano recently kicked off promotion of the card with a noteworthy press conference, at which Rousey lambasted the UFC as “one of the worst places to go” to “make a living and be paid fairly.”

“They’re bleeding talent because of their short-term greed,” Rousey said of the promotion that enshrined her into its Hall of Fame. “They’re thinking about the next quarter. They’re thinking about the shareholders and not thinking about their responsibility to be stewards of the future of the sport.”

The current lineup for the card following Monday’s announcement:

• 145 pounds: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano

• 170 pounds: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry

• Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins