Cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran is standing by his decision to cancel Nate Diaz’s fight against Mike Perry, telling MMA Junkie Radio that he was left with no other option but to protect his fighter.

Duran was brought into the program specifically at Diaz’s request to work in Diaz’s corner. When the fight deteriorated, he called to intervene and advised the referee to stop the fight.

Diaz was hit in several places during the fight, a cut on the right side of his forehead caused profuse bleeding which Duran was unable to stop. Diaz also suffered a broken finger during the bout and later told Duran that he could not see due to the bleeding. Diaz finished the night with 15 staples and 20 stitches.

‘Stitch’ Duran on Nate Diaz stoppage: ‘He was beaten’

“He was beaten,” Duran told MMA Junkie Radio. “Mike was very strong, very aggressive.” Duran said he told referee Diaz that he was not going to back down despite the official pressuring him to continue.

The crowd at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California reacted with condemnation and was criticized on social media. Duran said no one changed his viewpoint. The reassurance he needed came directly from Diaz. Durán said that after the fight Diaz thanked him and hugged him when he said goodbye, Diaz’s father was also present to thank him. Duran said Diaz admitted he couldn’t see, which he said was the deciding factor.

“My job is to protect the fighter,” Duran said. “That’s what I did to Nate.”

The stoppage drew additional attention, considering the night’s co-main event, the bout between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano on Netflix, also ended in a stoppage between rounds two and three. Duran said he has since received praise from within the combat sports industry, including a message from boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera.

“I got a lot of compliments from people in the industry,” Duran said. “they understand.”

On Saturday night inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix will be shaking up the mixed martial arts game with their Rousey vs. Carano event. The 11-fight card will showcase the past, present and future of the sport and will feature a star-studded main card.

In the night’s headliner, women’s MMA legends and pioneers, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, will face off in a dream fight that no one ever expected. Additionally, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou will be in action against one-time PFL Champion Phillip Lynn, and fan favorite brawlers Nate Diaz and Mike Perry will face off in a welterweight bout.

Ahead of Saturday’s card, we offer predictions for who will win the evening’s main card bouts.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Robellis Despaigne

Junior dos Santos will go down as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history. However, the 42-year-old has a lot of wear and tear on his body. Especially his chin. While he has won back-to-back fights at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, he faces a tough matchup against bronze medalist Robellis Despaigne of Cuba on Saturday.

The taekwondo master has speed and length – which he uses well. This is demonstrated during the seven-fight winning streak of the new Karate Combat Heavyweight Champion. If this were 2016, the Brazilian would get the W. But he’s nowhere near that fighter and will have a long night against Despaigne.

Francis Ngannou vs. Philip Lins

At Rousey vs. Carano, former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou returns to the cage for the second time after dethroning the MMA world leader four years ago. While the heavyweight division in MMA is quite weak at the moment, MVP found a strong opponent in “The Predator” Lince.

The former PFL star is entering the fight with a lot of confidence after four consecutive wins in the UFC. However, they were all lightweight. Ngannou will have a massive size and strength advantage. If “Monstro” can stay up and running, he could make this interesting. However, he does not possess great strength, and it seems that it will take only a short time for “The Predator” to catch his prey.

Salahdin Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross

Saturday’s Rousey vs. Carano main card brings an intriguing battle of champions as KSW lightweight king Salahdin Parnasse faces tough-n-uff 155-pound titlist Kenneth Cross. This bout could easily be Fight of the Night as both are talented finishers.

Parnasse has 14 stoppages in 22 wins (7 knockouts and 7 submissions), while Cross has 13 finishes in 17 wins (6 knockouts and 7 submissions). Finally, Parnasse comes from a better promotion where he faces tougher competition. Look for him to approve the decision later this week.

Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry

The fight most fans are waiting for is the welterweight bout between popular brawler Diaz and Perry. The former is one of the most popular fighters in UFC history. However, the age difference in this scrap cannot be ignored.

Diaz turned 41 last month and has 34 fights to his body and chin. Perry has suffered plenty of brain trauma throughout his 22-fight career, but at age 34, he is a far better athlete than he is right now. At the same time, he brings legal power into his hands and is feeling confident having emerged as one of BKFC’s hottest talents.

Diaz is sure to get a lot of stakes, but expect an upset split-decision win for Perry after scoring a few knockdowns during the fight.

Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano

No one expected a fight between Rousey and Carano to ever happen and there were many who did not want it to happen. But we’re getting it on Netflix, and it’s still a dream fight with historical relevance as two of the most important figures in the evolution of women’s MMA.

Both women are motivated and look to be in good shape – especially Carano. But it won’t be a display of elite athleticism as Rousey turned 39 last month and Carano turned 44. The big question is, can Rousey avoid taking some big shots to dominate Carano and throw her around?

Rousey is very durable and is the better athlete of the two at the moment. Furthermore, Carano never came close to facing a wrestler of the silver medalist judoka’s caliber. “Rowdy” should have learned from the knockouts in her previous two fights and been more cautious as she looked for takedowns and forced Carano to tap in Round 2.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Matt Brown isn’t convinced by Nate Diaz’s public explanation for declining a UFC return in favor of fighting Mike Perry on the May 16 Netflix card headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. Speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown argued that the Netflix deal certainly paid more than what the UFC was offering and that Diaz’s decision does not hold up to scrutiny as a matter of principle.

The situation began when UFC CEO Dana White revealed that the promotion was in talks to bring Diaz back, but he believed that Most Valuable Promotions had made him an offer he could not refuse. Diaz publicly hit back, claiming that the UFC had actually offered him more money for a trilogy fight against Conor McGregor and that he turned it down because he had no interest in facing McGregor on his “last leg” after being out of action for five years. Brown knows Diaz well enough to know that he respects the framing but does not accept it at face value.

“Money talks,” Brown said. “He’s making more money with this Netflix fight than he is with the UFC. That’s why he’s not fighting Conor in the UFC. I lean toward believing Dana on this. He got an offer he couldn’t refuse. Now, with the way the contract is structured, with how Nate is spinning it, there might be something going on a few layers down behind the scenes that we don’t know about yet. But there’s no way he’s making more money. Not earning.

“I don’t believe for a moment that he’s not making more money with this Netflix deal, although whatever happens, he ends up with more money in his bank account from this fight than the UFC, or he doesn’t take the fight. He’s going to pick the highest bidder. I don’t think that’s unique to Nate Diaz, but I think he understands that this is a prize fight. He’s fighting for the money. He’s going to take the highest pay. Is.”

Nate Diaz’s MVP deal

Brown’s broader theory is that Diaz’s deal with MVP could be tied to fewer terms than UFC returns, and the contract structure could be as important a factor as the upfront money.

“There’s either something more to it, like potentially he didn’t want to sign another contract with the UFC or something along those lines,” Brown said. “When they say there was an offer he couldn’t refuse, maybe it wasn’t just the money. Maybe there was something else going on behind the scenes with him. When he says they offered him more money, up front, they offered him more money – is there something going on through the back door?

“It doesn’t make sense to me that he would simply accept a lower salary for what would probably be an uphill battle for him. There’s something where the math is not adding up. There are some things going on behind the scenes, behind closed doors, that we don’t know about.”

Chael Sonnen doesn’t believe fans will ever see a third fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz.

Speaking with MMA Junkie, Sonnen assessed the current status of one of MMA’s most anticipated trilogies for nearly a decade and concluded that the rubber match is never going to be possible due to the circumstances surrounding both fighters.

The talks follow Diaz’s recent revelation that he was in talks with the UFC about a return, with a trilogy fight against McGregor being the centerpiece of those discussions. Diaz passed up the opportunity, saying he wanted to fight Charles Oliveira for the BMF title instead, and eventually accepted a fight against Mike Perry on May 16 on Netflix.

Diaz said that his reason for leaving McGregor was that he only wanted a trilogy when both men were moving forward, not when one of them was on the way out.

Chael Sonnen says Nate Diaz isn’t cheating

Sonnen said, “Nate Diaz lives by a code, and you won’t be able to escape it.” “You won’t bribe him, you won’t pressure him. He lives by a code. It just gets complicated, but that’s not his negotiating strategy. He’s serious when he says, ‘I don’t want to fight Conor, Conor has been out for five years, and by the way, he’s got a leg injury. Let him come back, get a win and then I’ll come in.’

He said, “He wants to fight Charles Oliveira. Nobody wants to fight Charles Oliveira. Nate is serious.” “And it’s not just about Charles. It’s not just a jiu-jitsu fight. It’s the belt that escaped him. That BMF belt means something to him, and Charles is the guy to wear it. Nate is honest. Could he lose that fight to Mike Perry? Could the UFC lose interest in him over time? Of course. But that’s not going to change Nate’s mind.”

Diaz and McGregor split their two-fight series in 2016, with Diaz handing McGregor his first UFC defeat at UFC 196, before losing the rematch via majority decision at UFC 202. The unresolved nature of that rivalry has kept speculation about a third fight alive for the better part of a decade, but both men’s timelines are pulling in opposite directions.

Chael Sonnen predicts Conor McGregor has one UFC fight left

On the McGregor side of the equation, there is momentum building behind a return fight at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11, which will take place almost exactly five years after he last competed against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 and suffered a broken leg.

Max Holloway has emerged as a potential opponent for that return. McGregor currently has two fights remaining on his deal, barring a new contract, putting him on a timeline that may not align with Diaz’s leadership. Sonnen thinks McGregor has a limited runway left, no matter what he says publicly.

“My guess on Conor is we’re going to get him another one, and I think we can really enjoy it,” Sonnen said. “Now, if you talk to Conor, and I did, you’ll get him at least three more times. He’ll make some fights and box. I think we’re going to get Conor for one more fight. I think we’ll probably miss the trilogy. Sadly.”

Nate Diaz has officially put his bid in the ring for the UFC’s White House card and he has some opponents in mind for the event.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, the 40-year-old Stockton fighter explained that he is done with the exhibition circuit and wants to return to “real action” on the sport’s biggest stage. Diaz outlined a three-man hit list specifically for the historic June 14, 2026 event, targeting old rivals and new faces alike as he looks to secure a spot on the South Lawn.

“I’m ready to get back to real action,” Diaz told TMZ Sports. “I want to fight either (Conor) McGregor, maybe Dustin Poirier if he stops being so shy, and maybe even Mike Perry.”

Poirier’s call out is especially stinging, reigniting a feud that has been smoldering for years without ever materializing in the cage. Poirier, who retired in July 2025 after a loss to Max Holloway, has recently made a comeback, and Diaz’s challenge could be the spark needed to finally make the fight happen.

Meanwhile, the mention of Mike Perry provides a wild card option, as the former BKFC star is currently a free agent looking to return to mixed martial arts. The backdrop to Diaz’s potential return is the UFC White House event, which is being held to celebrate both President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Diaz shared his enthusiasm for the patriotic display, saying, “Yeah, it would be dope. Gang America, baby. You already know what’s up.”

A limited number of bouts are expected to take place at the event, and Diaz’s proven ability to effortlessly draw attention makes him a prime candidate for the lineup. Diaz also took some time to address his former opponent, Jake Paul, who recently suffered a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. Despite their past rivalry, Diaz praised the YouTuber-turned-boxer, who suffered a double jaw break in a sixth-round knockout.

Diaz acknowledged Paul’s desire to step up against a former heavyweight champion, saying, “He’s doing a great job.” However, Diaz made it clear that his own focus is moving back to legitimate MMA competition, noting that he wants a “real fight” for the “right price” rather than another crossover boxing match.

尼克·迪亞茲正在策劃格鬥運動史上最雄心勃勃的複出之一。這位 42 歲的拳擊手自 2011 年擊敗 BJ Penn 以來就沒有在勝利中舉過手，他相信 2026 年是他最終重新奪回山頂位置的一年。

迪亞茲剛剛在康復機構度過了一段時間，以解決長期存在的藥物濫用問題，他聲稱自己處於一生中最好的身心狀態。在接受 Baja Rehab 採訪時，這位前 Strikeforce 冠軍概述了他對“全新的我”的願景，並堅稱他的回歸不僅僅是一次懷舊之旅，而是一次合法的冠軍爭奪戰。

迪亞茲哥哥最後一次出現在八角籠比賽是在 2021 年 UFC 266 比賽中令人沮喪地輸給羅比·勞勒 (Robbie Lawler)，他在被擊倒後一反常態地拒絕繼續比賽。然而，迪亞茲堅稱那些日子已經過去了。 “我希望自己成為世界冠軍，”迪亞茲宣稱。

“而且我認為這很容易賺錢。”他的自信源於他說多年來一直缺失的清晰和清醒。他解釋說：“如果我認為有什麼東西可以阻止我，我就不會走到這一步。”他將與毒癮的鬥爭描述為另一個需要克服的對手。

儘管迪亞茲不活躍，但他一直密切關注次中量級的格局，特別是該部門頂部的潮流變化。他對去年 11 月 UFC 322 的主要賽事持批評態度，當時伊斯蘭·馬哈喬夫 (Islam Makhachev) 擊敗了傑克·德拉·馬達萊納 (Jack Della Maddalena)，奪得了 170 磅重的冠軍。迪亞茲在分析這位澳大利亞人的表現時毫不拐彎抹角，指責他缺乏格鬥智商。

“我並不為他感到難過，”迪亞茲在教授摔跤課時說道。 “你沒有學會如何回顧並系統地理解為什麼黑帶會繞過你的警惕。”