After his boxing match against Jake Paul in 2023, Nate Diaz is set to return to action this time inside the MMA cage. Surprisingly, the Stockton native will return to MMA after four years on a match card promoted by Paul’s promotion, Most Valuable Promotion. He will step inside the cage against an opponent from a promotion co-owned by his old rival Conor McGregor.

His last MMA match came at UFC 279, where he defeated Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision in 2022. Diaz later decided to pursue a different path and joined boxing, which earned him a big payday. Now, he returns, this time on the undercard of the upcoming MVP against a BKFC champion on the event headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.

Nate Diaz ready to return to MMA against Conor McGregor’s champ

Recently, ESPN journalist Andreas Hale revealed on X that Diaz will face Mike Perry, who is the current BKFC “King of Violence” champion. Perry, who is a former UFC fighter, will fight Diaz on May 16 in a Netflix-streamed bout.

“BREAKING: Nate Diaz to return to MMA for the first time in nearly four years against Mike Perry as part of @MostVpromotions. MMA event on May 16 headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Netflix.”

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Netflix’s TUDUM also confirmed the matchup. According to TUDUM, Nate Diaz and Perry will throw hands for five rounds in a welterweight fight under the unified MMA rules. Meanwhile, the rest of the card will feature the long-awaited fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. In the co-main event, Francis Ngannou will face former UFC light heavyweight star, Philipe Lins.

Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, left the MMA promotion after having issues with Dana White and Co. on fighters’ pay. He signed an $8 million deal with PFL, where he had one MMA fight against Renen Ferreira and had lucrative boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. After his contract with PFL ended, he now returns to MMA under MVP.

That said, Jake Paul is using his promotion to feature established names at the events and help fighters earn more than fighters at other MMA promotions. Along with his promotion, their streaming partner, Netflix, has made major moves into streaming combat sports events, including Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. Rousey vs Carano is another major event set to be streamed on the platform.

Diaz did not originally plan to face Mike Perry. In fact, he always wanted to fight his former rival, Conor McGregor, since the two have a pending trilogy. However, McGregor still holds UFC fight contracts, which prevent him from competing outside the promotion.

Similarly, Dustin Poirier has challenged the Stockton native for a Zuffa boxing bout after retiring from the UFC, but Dana White has not approved the fight. Even outside the UFC, Poirier cannot face Nate Diaz because of his remaining contract obligations, which Diaz has also emphasized. Talking about UFC contracts, even if a fighter is ‘retired’ or inactive, the company often retains exclusive rights, preventing them from competing in other combat sports promotions.

“I’d beat your a– but you’re not allowed. PS you’re checked out already,” wrote Diaz on X.

As a result, these complications delayed Diaz’s return against fellow UFC stars.

So far, Nate Diaz has fought two professional boxing matches. In his last bout in 2024, he defeated Jorge Masvidal in a 10-round rematch via majority decision, which has prompted ‘Gamebred’ to call for a trilogy to settle who is truly the best.

Jorge Masvidal seeks a trilogy clash against Nate Diaz

Fans will never forget the rivalry between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, even as years go by. Their clash now stands as a defining chapter in the UFC’s BMF legacy. The two first met at UFC 244 for the inaugural BMF belt during the promotion’s annual Madison Square Garden event. Both fighters gave everything, not just for the belt, but also to make the fight memorable for the fans.

By the end of the third round, ‘Gamebred’ had cut Diaz above the eye, showcasing the toughness of both fighters. However, Diaz expressed dissatisfaction with how the fight ended, which eventually led to their rematch. Later, in boxing outside the UFC, Diaz evened the score with Masvidal, bringing their record to 1-1.

Masvidal, on the other hand, remained unhappy with the outcome and labeled the fight a “robbery,” which in turn fueled the demand for a trilogy.

“I think between men, he knows it’s 2-0 all the way,” said Jorge Masvidal last month. “Ain’t no way that fight in California I lost. The only reason why I lost it is because we see how corrupt California is. Gavin Newsom and all those [expletive]. I straight up won that [expletive] fight. I straight up won that fight. I threw more shots, he never rocked me.”

Now, with Jorge Masvidal calling out Nate Diaz, fans have to decide if this is really the matchup they want to see. Meanwhile, last year, the Stockton native himself targeted Terence Crawford for a boxing showdown. So share your thoughts and let us know who you think Diaz should fight next.