Mike Perry is not begging for a Nate Diaz rematch, but he sounds more than happy to take that check again if MVP MMA wants to run it back.
Perry returned to MMA for the first time since 2021 at MVP MMA 1 and beat Nate Diaz by second-round TKO in their welterweight co-main event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Diaz’s corner stopped the fight after Round 2 because of the cuts on his face, giving Perry a violent win on Netflix and moving his MMA record to 15-8. Diaz fell to 21-14.
Netflix Sports posted the stoppage below:
MIKE PERRY DEFEATS NATE DIAZ VIA DOCTOR'S STOPPAGE IN THE 2ND ROUND.#RouseyCarano is LIVE now only on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/npUioXwwBT
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) May 17, 2026
Perry said Diaz’s jab forced him to adjust early, but he was already thinking about a five-round pace because Diaz was not going away easily.
“He was landing jabs and I was like, ‘I’ve got to move my feet more,’” Perry said at the post-fight press conference. “I think I was working at a pace that, obviously I was bringing it, but I was thinking about five rounds because I was hitting him and I was like, ‘Damn, he’s going to be here.’”
Mike Perry says a rematch with Nate Diaz in Sacramento would be free money
“It’s free money bro, I’m gonna win that fight. I’ll do the same thing to a lot of people. Elbowing them to the face and the head everybody is gonna split open, everybody is gonna bleed” pic.twitter.com/MKYzm32dAI
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) May 17, 2026
By the end of Round 2, Perry knew the damage was too much. Diaz has made a career out of walking through ugly rounds, but this time the blood was doing the matchmaking.
“Sitting down in the second round I was like, ‘There’s no way it’s going to continue,’” Perry said. “I knew, and sure enough, too much blood. I felt kinda bad. But that’s my job. I worked really hard. I trained really hard. I’m violent as f*ck, and I can take it, too.”
That answer fits Perry perfectly. He gave Diaz credit for being durable, admitted the damage was nasty, then went right back to the only job description that ever made sense for him.
The win mattered because Perry had spent the last few years rebuilding his combat sports value outside the UFC. His UFC run ended in 2021 after losses to Daniel Rodriguez and Tim Means, but he became one of BKFC’s biggest names before boxing Jake Paul. Against Diaz, Perry looked comfortable back in MMA gloves and carried the same mean rhythm that made his bare-knuckle run click.
“I think I was the best welterweight in the world tonight, to be honest with you,” Perry said. “I think I would hurt anybody, damage anybody. I made this weight crazy. I looked crazy physically.”
Mike Perry Says Nate Diaz Rematch Would Be “Free Money”
Diaz called for an immediate rematch after the fight, which is exactly what most fans would expect. Diaz does not really do clean exits. If there is blood, a stoppage, or any room to argue, he usually wants the next round.
Perry does not see much mystery left. Diaz survived two rounds and kept pressing forward, but Perry was the cleaner and more damaging fighter until the corner stopped it.
“Dude, it’s free money, bro,” Perry said. “I’m going to win that fight. I would do the same thing.”
That is a cold sell, but it also explains why the rematch could still happen. Diaz brings a fanbase, Perry brings guaranteed violence, and MVP MMA already leaned into familiar names on its first Netflix card. The first fight may not have left a technical puzzle, but it did leave a bloody visual and a marketable argument.
Diaz’s toughness kept him alive, but toughness alone did not stop Perry from opening him up. If MVP puts them back together, Perry already gave the promotion the pitch. In his mind, it is the same fight, the same damage, and the same winner.
