WHY NATE DIAZ SIGNED WITH JAKE PAUL’S MVP FOR MMA RETURN
Nate Diaz signs with Jake Paul’s MVP to face Mike Perry in an MMA return on the Rousey vs Carano Netflix card.
Nate Diaz is set to join the impressive undercard for the upcoming Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano bout. The UFC veteran has recently signed with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and will take on Mike Perry at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on May 16.
Diaz hasn’t stepped into the MMA cage since he submitted Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 back in 2022. After that, he tried his hand at boxing, debuting in the ring a year later, where he lost a points decision to Jake Paul. However, he bounced back in his next boxing match by securing a win against Jorge Masvidal.
There had been buzz about a potential fight between Diaz and Conor McGregor for McGregor’s UFC return, but those plans seem to have fallen through. Their history is well-known; they split victories in 2016, with Diaz dealing McGregor his first UFC loss. Many fans were hoping for a trilogy match, possibly headlining the promotion’s historic White House card.
Now Diaz is gearing up to face Perry at welterweight, following unified MMA rules over five rounds. He’ll be sharing the card with notable names like Francis Ngannou, who recently parted ways with PFL and is scheduled to fight Philipe Lins in the co-main event.
Diaz expressed his excitement about the return, saying, “Glad to be back in action." It’s time. Don’t forget where this all came from. I’ve got plans to keep going for the next decade, wherever it takes me. Time to set the bar again; get ready for a new takeover, again and again.”
He’s been hinting at this comeback for months and even called out Perry as part of a three-fight target list earlier this year. Diaz has openly admitted he has unfinished business in combat sports, aiming to capture gold before he retires.
His signing with MVP raises questions among MMA fans about whether the UFC had discussions with him beforehand, similar to what we saw with Rousey. She revealed she had talks with UFC CEO Dana White before announcing her Netflix fight against Carano, though she later criticised the UFC as a shadow of its former self, saying it no longer delivers the best fights.
While Diaz is undoubtedly the bigger name, Perry brings his own intensity to the card. Known as 'Platinum', Perry had a stint in McGregor’s Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship after leaving the UFC in 2021. He, too, has boxed and lost to Jake Paul before making a comeback to combat sports with a win over Jeremy Stephens at BKFC 82 last October.
Perry isn’t holding back, stating, “The King of Violence returns to MMA to elbow his opponent in the face.” The fight is set to be streamed on Netflix, with Perry promising Diaz will go “lights out” on May 16.
Nakisa Bidarian, MVP’s CEO, commented on the event’s massive potential, highlighting their record-breaking boxing viewership and expecting to smash those records again with this MMA card. He emphasised the matchup intensity, calling Diaz “the Real BMF” and Perry “the King of Violence", promising a battle from the first press conference through to the final bell.
This event in Los Angeles looks to be one of the biggest nights in combat sports, and Netflix’s involvement signals a bright future for MMA’s growth. More bouts for the card are expected to be announced soon, so keep an eye out for updates as the date approaches.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
