LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nate Diaz will return to mixed martial arts for the first time in nearly four years when he fights fellow brawler Mike Perry on the undercard of Ronda Rousey's meeting with Gina Carano.
Most Valuable Promotions on Monday announced the latest addition to the Netflix card scheduled for May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The bout is scheduled for five rounds at the 170-pound welterweight limit.
Diaz, who turns 41 next month, hasn't fought in a cage since September 2022, when he choked out Tony Ferguson in his final bout for the UFC. The California native is best known for splitting two memorable fights against Conor McGregor a decade ago in a rivalry that exponentially boosted both fighters' star power.
Diaz also took two big-money boxing matches in the past three years. He lost a decision in 2023 to Jake Paul, the social media star-turned-boxer whose company is promoting the Rousey-Carano show, before beating his former UFC rival, Jorge Masvidal, in 2024.
“Glad to be back in action. It’s time,” Diaz said. “Don’t forget where this all came from. I got plans on doing a lot more in the next 10 years, no matter where it is. Time to set the bar again."
The 34-year-old Perry fought for the UFC until 2021, establishing a reputation for exciting bouts and troubled behavior outside the cage. He also lost a boxing match to Paul, getting stopped by the YouTuber in July 2024.
After losing seven of his final 10 fights for the UFC, Perry has since made a successful move into bare-knuckle boxing, where he is 6-0. His MMA bout with Diaz will be his first time in a cage since 2021.
Diaz-Perry is the third bout announced for the first MMA show for Paul's burgeoning promotional company, which is showcasing combat sports icons whose fame far outstrips the current crop of relatively anonymous UFC champions.
Former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou is also fighting Brazil's Philipe Lins in Inglewood.
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FILE - Nate Diaz poses on the scale during a ceremonial weigh-in for the UFC 279 mixed martial arts event on Sept. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, File)
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has a luxury of choice in deciding who to leave out of his attack against Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.
All of Luis Enrique's forwards are fit, which is a welcome rarity for him this season, and the pressure is off his side considering it heads to the second leg in London with a 5-2 lead.
With Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé a certain starter, Luis Enrique must leave out either Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — arguably the best goal-scoring winger in the world — Désiré Doué — scorer of two goals in last year's Champions League final — or the resurgent Bradley Barcola.
Kvaratskhelia made a big impact as a substitute in the first leg last week, scoring twice and assisting on Vitinha's goal as PSG pulled away for a flattering win. The scores were level and Chelsea was looking dangerous until a 74th-minute blunder from goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen gifted PSG a lead it then embellished with Kvaratskhelia's two late goals.
For his first goal Kvaratskhelia cut in from the left and bent a ferocious strike past Jörgensen.
Kvaratskhelia prefers playing on the left flank but that is where Barcola plays and his form makes him hard to drop.
“A lot of players change positions," Dembélé said. “The coach likes players who play different roles.”
Barcola is a hard-working, pacy forward with good dribbling ability, and his physicality offers Luis Enrique the option of using him through the middle during games. Barcola struggled to get into the team earlier this season but has come back into the reckoning in recent weeks.
He opened the scoring with a fine finish against Chelsea and grabbed winning goals in the French league away from home against Le Havre and Auxerre. Overall, he has 11 goals in 37 games, compared with 11 in 35 for Kvaratskhelia, 12 in 27 for Dembélé, and nine in 28 for Doué.
With Dembélé assured of playing in his roaming center forward role, that means Kvaratskhelia is more likely to start on the right in place of Doué, who has not shown his best form during an injury-hit campaign.
Kvaratskhelia seems to save his best for the Champions League. Six of the Georgia star's goals this season have come in the competition — the most for PSG along with Vitinha.
Luis Enrique does not think a three-goal lead equals a comfortable game.
“There are four teams with three-goal (advantages). Let’s see how many will qualify," he said, referring to Manchester City, Tottenham and Sporting Lisbon, who are all trailing by that margin. “It’s impossible to ease up in the Champions League, impossible. Chelsea will have chances."
Last season PSG almost crumbled against Aston Villa in the quarterfinals, despite winning the first leg 3-1 in Paris and going 2-0 up in the return match. By the end PSG was clinging on at 3-2 down and narrowly avoided extra time.
“It was a clear example (of) what can happen in a football match," Luis Enrique said.
Dembélé backed PSG to withstand any comeback.
“Luis Enrique used the word resilience, which characterizes our team. You have to know how to suffer in this competition," he said. “Any team that has won it has suffered (like) we did against Aston Villa and Arsenal (in the semifinals last season).”
That does not mean PSG will prioritize defending.
“We can’t keep just sit in the last 15-20 meters and defend a lead," Dembélé said. “Our mentality is always to win a match.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
PSG's Bradley Barcola, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Chelsea's Wesley Fofana, right, tries to block a shot from PSG's Desire Doue, center, during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PSG's Bradley Barcola celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in Paris, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
