Nate Diaz Chose Netflix Fight Over Conor McGregor Trilogy

Nate Diaz wasn't solely chasing a bigger paycheck when he decided to fight in Netflix's inaugural MMA event. The MMA star revealed he actually had a better offer from the UFC than the one he accepted to face fellow former UFC fighter Mike Perry. The bout is scheduled for May 16th as part of Most Valuable Promotion's (MVP) first MMA event, broadcast on Netflix.

UFC CEO Dana White recently confirmed that discussions were held for Diaz's return to the Octagon, but stated that MVP had made him "an offer he couldn't refuse," implying a more lucrative financial deal. However, in a conversation with comedian Theo Von, Diaz denied this was the reason and explained why he still chose MVP.

"I wanted to go back to the UFC, yeah," Diaz said. "I had bigger offers from the UFC than from these guys, but the offers, the opponents, weren't right. I believe everything in combat sports, and in general, is about timing. I think if I had gone back to the UFC, I wouldn't have fought the fighters I wanted to. I wanted to fight the best of the best. If I can't get that, I'll fight the biggest name I can."

Diaz shared that the UFC was pushing for him to face his rival Conor McGregor in a third fight to end their long-standing feud. However, Diaz wasn't interested in fighting McGregor at this stage of his career. He had set his sights on Charles Oliveira, who recently won the BMF belt.

"For example, if I had gone back to the UFC, they wanted me to fight Conor McGregor right away," Diaz explained. "For me, Conor McGregor... look at his stats. I know that, but I'm thinking. Conor McGregor just lost to (Dustin) Poirier. He got knocked out. Poirier knocked him out, and then he broke his leg, which is terrible because Poirier is a pathetic son of a bitch. He knocked him out, and then his leg breaks. We're opponents, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I hope he comes back and does well, even though everyone is writing him off. I know he has problems with the UFC because I've had problems with the UFC too... Now he's ready to come back and he's motivated to do what he needs to. And I'm thinking, 'I'm going to fight for the BMF belt. Who's claiming my belt? Charles Oliveira just won it, right?' And I'm like, 'You're wearing my belt and walking around!' So then I asked, 'What's up with the UFC? Let's figure this out and make this fight happen.' They want me to fight Conor McGregor. And I'm telling them, 'Listen to what I'm telling you. I want to fight the best of the best when they're at their best. Conor is great, but I'm not trying to finish him when he's on his last fucking breath. I don't want to be the end of someone's story like that. We're not friends or anything, but I'm not trying to finish this guy. And that's what I plan to do if we fight. At the same time, I don't want to get screwed over by someone who just got knocked out and broke his leg. This guy is down and now he's only motivated to fight me because who else is he going to fight? They'll probably give him the BMF belt, to that fucking son of a bitch Oliveira, who I believe I would beat the hell out of.'"

On the other hand, Diaz saw an opportunity in Perry. He greatly respects many of Perry's achievements since leaving the UFC in 2021. Perry has become a superstar, defeating many well-known names in bare-knuckle boxing such as Michael Page, Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez, and others.

"You know who's doing well and offering almost the same amount? Mike Perry, who's the toughest guy around, taking over businesses and running his own promotions. That sounds much more inspiring. I'm much more enthusiastic to get up, train, and prepare for this tough guy who will either knock me out or I'll knock him out, to see who's the bigger dog."

The California fighter is confident that he will face Conor McGregor again in the future when the timing is more suitable for both of them.

"Me and Conor will fight again when the time is right, but that will happen when we're both on the rise, not when someone is on their deathbed. I'm also not a stepping stone for someone's comeback," Diaz stated. "I'm fighting the most dangerous motherfucker on Netflix, and then I'll go after his boy, Jake Paul, who he works with at MVP. That's exactly what I'm doing right now."