Nate Diaz ends MMA hiatus, confirms return on Jake Paul’s promotions

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

One of the most marketable fighters to ever set foot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be making a highly anticipated return.

Welcome back, Mr. Nate Diaz.

The development was announced on March 16, 2026, when Jake Paul’s boxing and mixed martial arts company, Most Valuable Promotions, lined up the former UFC superstar for the undercard bout between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano scheduled for May 17, 2026 (PHL time), at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Diaz will end his four-year MMA hiatus against Mike Perry, an American brawler and bare-knuckle boxer currently competing in the sport’s middleweight division.

The 40-year-old star previously faced Perry in a boxing match two years ago, where Diaz won the bout by majority decision.

However, this will be the first time both fighters will face each other under MMA’s standard rules, in a five-round bout in the welterweight division.

Diaz’s move to MVP shut down circulating rumors of a UFC return after he made a lasting impression in September 2022 by submitting Tony Ferguson at UFC 279.

Little did fight fans know that it would be Diaz’s last fight in the UFC, as he disappeared without any concrete reason.

After leaving the UFC, Diaz began accepting exhibition fights, including one against Paul on Aug. 5, 2023, and another against fellow former UFC star Jorge Masvidal on July 6, 2024.

Diaz will forever be remembered for his unorthodox fighting style, tagging opponents with a snappy stand-up game and a deceptive right hand that can knock them out cold.

Perhaps his most memorable UFC fight was against Conor McGregor in 2016, when he accepted the late-replacement bout on just 11 days’ notice.

Despite the lack of preparation time, Diaz went on to shock the MMA world, submitting McGregor via a rear-naked choke in the second round of their UFC clash.

Will Diaz rekindle his fire and begin his MVP debut on a high note against Perry?