TLDR
- Nate Diaz received a bigger offer from UFC to fight Conor McGregor but declined it
- Diaz will instead face Mike Perry on Netflix’s debut MMA event on May 16, 2026
- Diaz says McGregor is ‘on his last dying leg’ and doesn’t want to fight him now
- His preferred opponent is Charles Oliveira, the current UFC BMF champion
- Diaz created the BMF belt in 2019 when he fought Jorge Masvidal
Sources: ESPN | Bloody Elbow | National Today
Nate Diaz has turned down a lucrative UFC contract to fight Conor McGregor, choosing instead to face Mike Perry in a Netflix fight on May 16, 2026. The 40-year-old MMA veteran revealed the decision during a recent appearance on ‘This Past Weekend w/Theo Von.’
Diaz confirmed he received bigger financial offers from the UFC than from Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix. However, he said the UFC’s proposed opponents didn’t align with his current goals.
Timing Not Right for McGregor Trilogy
‘I want to go back to the UFC,’ Diaz said. ‘I have bigger offers from the UFC than I got from [MVP and Netflix], but the offers weren’t the opponents.’
The UFC wanted Diaz to fight McGregor for their trilogy bout. Diaz and McGregor split two fights in 2016, creating one of the biggest rivalries in MMA history.
🚨MVP’S MMA TRIPLE-HEADLINER🚨
A historic triple-headliner. One unforgettable night…Live on NETFLIX🍿
🔥 Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
🔥 Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
🔥 Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe LinsYall ready?🚀⬇️#DiazPerry #RouseyCarano #NgannouLins pic.twitter.com/YEt3JWFFs0
— MVP – Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) March 16, 2026
But Diaz said he doesn’t want to fight McGregor at this point in the Irishman’s career. ‘I want to fight the best of the best, when they are the best,’ Diaz explained.
‘Conor is great, but I’m not trying to kill off Conor when he’s on his last dying leg, literally,’ he said. ‘I’m not trying to be the end of some f—er’s story like that.’
McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in a 2021 TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. He has expressed interest in returning to competition later in 2026, possibly in July.
Diaz said he believes everything in fighting is about timing. He doesn’t want to face someone coming off major injuries and losses, even if it means turning down more money.
BMF Title Fight Is the Goal
Diaz’s top choice for an opponent is Charles Oliveira, who won the UFC BMF title earlier this month. Oliveira defeated Max Holloway by decision at UFC 326 to claim the belt.
Diaz was responsible for creating the BMF championship in 2019. He fought Jorge Masvidal in the inaugural BMF title fight that year.
‘I want to fight the best of the best,’ Diaz said. His goal is to eventually return to the UFC and challenge for the BMF title he helped establish.
For now, Diaz will face Mike Perry at the MVP MMA: Rhonda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event. The fight will stream on Netflix and marks a return to MMA for Diaz.
Perry is a former UFC fighter who has become a star in bare-knuckle boxing. He currently holds the ‘King of Violence’ title in that promotion.
Diaz called Perry ‘the most violent motherf*cker around’ and sees him as the right opponent for this moment. He believes fighting Perry on the Netflix platform is a better option than the McGregor trilogy right now.
Diaz holds a professional MMA record of 21-13. McGregor’s record stands at 22-6.
Perry brings a 14-8 MMA record into the Netflix bout scheduled for May 16, 2026.
