It’s been weeks since Mike Perry spoiled Nate Diaz’s planned return to MMA. Four years after he earned a Performance of the Night award for submitting Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, Diaz returned to MMA after briefly dabbling in boxing. But the move ended disastrously when Perry forced a corner stoppage on Diaz after the second round.

While in the aftermath of the bloody battle, he was handed a 180-day medical suspension by the CSAC, but he had hoped for an immediate rematch with Perry. As such, a few hours ago, Nate Diaz made his intentions clear that he is not looking for a long time away from the sport this time around.

“Back in action upward movement. Road to whoop this motherf–ker’s a–,” Diaz shared in X alongside an image of him fighting Perry.

It appears the 41-year-old is upbeat and already looking forward to returning as soon as his suspension ends in mid-November. While Nate Diaz remains upbeat, fans, however, don’t seem to share his enthusiasm. His social media post immediately came under intense scrutiny, with many users calling on him to stay away from the cage.

That frustration likely stems from the way Nate Diaz’s post-UFC career has evolved. A year after the Ferguson fight, Paul entered boxing. The experiment produced mixed results. After suffering a loss to Jake Paul, Diaz bounced back and secured a closely contested win over former rival Jorge Masvidal.

It took another two years before he landed the Mike Perry fight. Diaz entered the bout at age 41. To most fans, who watched the bout unfold on the main card of the MVP MMA 1 in May, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in Inglewood, California, Diaz clearly appeared well beyond his prime.

While many questioned if Diaz had trained for the bout, his slow moments and the erratic way he struck at Perry forced some to believe he was out of shape. By the end of the first round, he looked like he was already winded. Watching him, Dillon Danis called out Diaz for looking “like a drunk uncle fighting at a barbecue.”

Away from competition, however, the Stockton native is also scheduled to make an appearance later this month. He will join Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, and several other prominent names from the MMA world to support an event organized by the California State Athletic Commission and Raymond Vineyards to generate funds for retired fighters.

So while Nate Diaz anticipates a quick return by the end of the year, fans remain much more unforgiving.

Fans push back on Nate Diaz’s comeback plans

“I think the cumulative damage has been done, Champ,” one wrote. “There’s no shame in going out on your shield at this point. All those punches add up. The sport will never forget what you’ve contributed, but at this point, you can live out the rest of your life in peace… and continence.”

There could be some truth to that viewpoint. Throughout his nearly 15-year UFC tenure, Diaz never captured a title. Yet, that stretch saw him face some of the biggest names in the sport, including Conor McGregor. While the number of losses continued to mount, Diaz never disappointed fans, delivering one Performance of the Night after another, and remained one of the promotion’s biggest draws. Given those accomplishments, Diaz achieved what many title holders could not over the years they competed. Yet it’s also true that he has amassed 14 losses in his pro-MMA career.

“Bro, stfu already. At this point some people in the comments would beat your a– in boxing,” one user wrote. Echoing similar sentiments, another wrote. “No real fan of technical fighting wants to see you fight again ever.”

A few took Diaz’s words literally. “Hey Nate, gotta get that bleeding under control. No early stoppage this time. 💯💯🫡,” one fan stated. They were likely hinting at the way the Mike Perry fight was stopped. Diaz found himself in a tough situation where Perry’s relentless onslaught left him with several cuts and gashes. As he started bleeding profusely, his corner realized that stopping the fight was the wisest way to address the issue.

But some fans felt the outcome would not change if Diaz met Perry for the second time. “It will just end the same way; your sh-t’s going to get cut up badly again, and you’re going to be 22-15.” While the two have spoken about a rematch and Jake Paul remains open to making it happen under his MVP MMA banner, it’s too early to speculate on when and where it will take place.

Then another user teased Diaz to take things easy and enjoy his life as a retired fighter. “Nate Diaz, man, if you don’t just smoke weed all day and enjoy life 🤦‍♀️,” they wrote.

It’s difficult to see the 41-year-old embracing that idea, given he has mostly scoffed at the prospect.

“The show goes on,” Diaz said at the post-fight press conference (MVP MMA 1). “I felt the same way as when I lost when I was younger and the same as the last time. I don’t have a checkout time, you know what I’m saying? That sh-t’s forever.”

With that mindset, expect Nate Diaz to continue his run, even if it attracts negative publicity.