Nate Diaz is one of my favorite fighters of all time. Even though he has lost a lot of times he always brings the heat and always has an exciting fight. There is no other fighter that I can think of off the top of my head where whether they win or lose it is going to be an absolutely awesome and entertaining fight.
There are a number of reasons why this is the case but a lot of it has to do with the fact that Diaz apparently has zero interest in letting a fight go the distance, even if it means that he could lose that fight in the process.
Diaz' near complete lack of concern for doing interviews that makes sense or helping to promote whatever fighting promotion is supporting him at the time is another reason to love the dude. Even when under contract with UFC he would continually talk trash about UFC and how they handle their interior management. he wasn't concerned about the potential consequences with his employer and this is part of the reason why he always seemed to get what he wanted. He was an undeniable attraction that brought in people like very few other fighters can.
He never participates in a bad fight and would rather go down swinging than win on points. He is the kind of guy that will be up 3-0 and then fight the last 2 with the same voracity that he did the first 3 when most other fighters would take this time to take it easy since all they have to do is survive and the fight is theirs for the victory.
He is the kind of guy that bleeds like crazy and insists to the ring doctor that everything is fine. Making Nate bleed doesn't mean a damn thing. With most other fighters if one guy is bloodied up like crazy this is an indication that the bloodied guy in near being finished... but not Nate.
he seems to relish the bloodletting and this drives him even more to win. I don't know how many fights I have seen where Nate was covered in mostly his own blood by the end of it, not a lot, but it was more than 1.
His inclusion in the upcoming MVP production of MMA where Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are the main event is nothing short of an awesome addition... but let's not get ahead of ourselves and at least recognize that this could end quite badly for the Stockton, California native.
Nate hasn't fought in MMA since nearly 4 years ago and during that time he changed focus to being a businessman where he was using his face and fame to push over his edibles company (or maybe it was vapes, whatever it was weed for sure) and also his promotion of MMA that he owns. I don't know what happened to either of those. He also participate in a boxing match against Jake Paul in 2024 and since THEN, he hasn't done a whole hell of a lot as far as fighting in any capacity is concerned.
I would love to see Nate come out swinging like he always does which I am sure will be the entire idea, but it just kind of begs the question of how important is it to not have a break in training as far as MMA is concerned?
Mike Perry, Nate's opponent in May, hasn't fought MMA since 2021 but he has remained active in fighting most notably with BKFC where he won the "King of Violence" title and successfully defended it once, both in 2024.
Perry seems a good opponent for Diaz because they both are much more interested in standing and keeping the crowd happy and seem to only shoot for submissions if the mood calls for it such as was the case with a floundering Conor McGregor when Nate bested him. Neither of these guys are going to posture for position on the ground for very long and instead will be looking to brutalize their opponent with ground and pound if they even go to the ground at all.
It could be interesting but it is a dangerous payday for Diaz in particular. He remains one of the most beloved fighters in the history of MMA and a poor showing in May could change all of that. There is no doubt that his conditioning will be exceptional because he has always had limitless cardio. He and his brother Nick regularly do Ironman and Triathlon events just for the hell of it and that is not something just anyone can do.
But the fact remains that Mike Perry has been more active in striking and I can say from my own limited experience as an MMA fighter that while the fundamentals are still there, the movement of an effective strike or kick is something that must be practiced or used, or you lose it. Is there enough time for Nate to get in to battle-shape by May? I certainly hope so but one thing is for sure, he isn't going to bitch out.
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Imagine bloodying up someone this badly only to have them turn the fight around and beat you
He likely has much better cardio than Mike Perry but I don't know if he has the raw power necessary to overcome.
At the moment Perry is a -225 favorite to win but as any sports bettor knows, this can and will change as we get closer to the date since Vegas odds are determined by the amount of bets and not necessarily who is more likely to win in the eyes of the experts.
While Nate has remained quiet about the compensation Mike Perry has said this fight will be the biggest payday of his entire career. Given tnat Jake Paul's MVP company tends to pay the fighters extremely well I believe that Nate is in for easy 7-figures win or lose. I think it is safe to say that he will be paid significantly more than Perry, since he is a bigger draw.
I just hope he can do the fight and not tarnish his reputation in the meantime.