MMA Fighting - REACTION: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry Set For Netflix; Did MVP Dunk On UFC?

Episode Date: March 16, 2026

Most Valuable Promotions dropped a bombshell on Monday, announcing they've added a welterweight matchup between Nate Diaz and Mike Perry to their May 16 event on Netflix, headlined by Ronda Rousey vs.... Gina Carano. With all of the chatter about the UFC White House lineup, did MVP just dunk on the UFC with this addition? Following Monday's breaking news, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to the Diaz vs. Perry fight, if it was the bout the make, the opening odds, and if there are any concerns on the Diaz side in his return to MMA. Additionally, topics include if this card is better than UFC White House, if they need to add any more fights featuring big names, how the UFC and Dana White could respond, and much more. Follow Mike Heck: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@m_heckjr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Jed Meshew: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JedKMeshew⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/dYpsgH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our full video catalog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/u8VvLi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit our playlists:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://goo.gl/eFhsvM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like MMAF on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://goo.gl/nOATUI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Oh, when you hear that music, that means something big's going down. And ladies and gentlemen, something big is going down. May 16th, Inglewood, California at the Intuit Dome, part of the Rhonda Rousey versus Gina Carrano card on Netflix. It is official. Nate Diaz is back in mixed martial arts. His first fight since defeating Tony Ferguson in September of 2020.
Starting point is 00:00:53 22 at UFC 279 returns to an MMA cage. He will face the current BKFC King of Violence champ, Mike Perry, who has his first MMA fight and even longer since April 2021 when he lost a decision to Daniel Rodriguez at a UFC fight night event. This fight going down five rounds at 170 pounds, part of a triple-hatter, sort of triple main event, being put on by most valuable promotions for this event. Nate Diaz is back, fighting Mike Perry, big, big news. I am Mike Heckin joining me to react to this news.
Starting point is 00:01:33 Who else? But the hot take kid, Mr. No Grayery himself, the one and only, Jed Mishu from MNapfiting.com. Jed, how we doing? How we feeling? Your thoughts, your initial reaction to this big news, Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry. Dude, what a way to kick off, uh, fight week, eh?
Starting point is 00:01:51 Monday. Things are happening on this Monday. We're coming off a card that was super fun this past weekend, right? In Vegas 114, but not a card we're really inclined to talk about for very long. Frankly, the upcoming UFC event this weekend. And then out of nowhere, MVP, being the MVP, Netflix, doing the damn thing, dropping big time news here. I mean, we knew that the UFC White House card was not going to,
Starting point is 00:02:22 live up to or not do the same kind of raw numbers rousy carano on netflix is going to do but like i mean this is a real not a shot across the bow because i've said many times and i will continue to believe you know netflix MVP they're not really trying to present an alternative promotional structure to the uc but if they do something obviously it appears they are going to do it big so uh hell yeah man let's talk about it yeah i've gotten like a lot of messages a lot of DMs since i might as well might as well just ask you because obviously we'll talk about the fight there are people that are a little bit concerned about it we'll get to that in a second but you mentioned ufc whitehouse and once this ronda rousy
Starting point is 00:03:08 gina carano fight was announced it was all about well how will this compare to ufc whitehouse how will this compare viewership wise to that event so while this isn't like a as you said a shot across bow. Is MVP just dunking on the UFC right now? Are they just posterizing the UFC and posterizing this UFC White House card? Because I got to tell you, if we're talking name value and star power and notoriety in terms of who fans recognize and who fans don't recognize, it's MVP all day here with these top three fights, is it not? Yeah. I mean, like this, look, not everyone will agree with this. And I understand because there are plenty of people. who have been very pro the White House card, whatever.
Starting point is 00:03:55 I think the White House card, as I've said, is like a, it's just a normal pay-per-view for the UFC, and it would be a good one. But, like, there's nothing to make it stand out. Like, if you swapped these cards right now, I think it would feel more like the White House card is supposed to with these sort of grand, big names that people know doing this super weird thing that the White House card will be. And I mean, it's hard for me to interpret. this as anything other than an intentional provocation or at least like because they don't I mean this
Starting point is 00:04:30 card was already big enough the Netflix card would have done I don't know if they're going to add viewers you probably had some like it was already going to attract an audience it's a spectacle it's a thing we've been talking about because ronda rousey's returning francis and gano is fighting flea bilins but he's fighting right but you add the star power of nadez who people know Mike perry who people know less but like people know there's a general awareness of him adding something like this is probably wasn't really necessary for them to do but it's just like a yeah look what we can do we're having fun we are making the our best effort to put on the best event we can which is not something frankly that it feels like we've been able to say about the UFC in some time and so it's hard for me
Starting point is 00:05:17 to view that as anything other than like look at us try like look at us try like look at at these guys and look at us trying, especially in the context of kind of the stuff they've said, like the people involved in this have made comments to be like, yeah, UFC take notice. Yeah, it's, it's funny hearing like, oh, wait till we announce this car, it's going to knock your socks off or wait until we announce this fight, it's going to knock your socks off. This one, because obviously I found out about it before like MVP announced it. And, you know, you get to embargo that stuff. and, you know, I asked about something else.
Starting point is 00:05:52 And I was told that the announcement is bigger. And then I got it. And I was like, what? I did not see this coming for a mile away. And they continue to do this. Now, you know, when they announce a Jake Paul fight, it's sometimes it's like, oh, I see what they're trying to do here. And some is just like, oh, this is terrible. Why are we doing this?
Starting point is 00:06:12 But as far as some of their announcements and some of the things they're trying to put together, this surprised me. like now that I like see it and saw the the graphic and the poster I'm like yeah this makes a ton of sense but like when you have ronda and jean and you have france on the same card you're not thinking you're going to get Nate Diaz in a non main event spot against a guy who fights for another promotion like you just I just didn't see this one coming jet on the the one to 10 on the surprise meter not surprised MFR surprised MFer where are you at on the meter here I am and I feel real stupid about it that was Honestly, my second reaction, my first reaction is like, wow, Netflix is going for it, right? And my second reaction was, how did I not see this? Because we fantasy match made this earlier. Like, once the first car was announced, we've talked about like what fights would make sense as undercard fights for it. And then after Francis got added, we again were like, okay, what else can they add to give this some pop? And at no point in time did I consider Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry, despite them being two of the bigger names.
Starting point is 00:07:18 in mixed martial arts outside of the UFC. I was like, no, Eddie Hall versus Francis or like, you know, let's do Tony Ferguson, Dylan, Danis. And those aren't even bad ideas, but like how we missed it. And maybe it's because I just thought that Nate might be heading back to the UFC for International Fight Week in Connor. I don't know, but just like a total beefing to not have seen this coming because like it makes perfect sense.
Starting point is 00:07:49 Frankly, it's like a competitive matchup between big stars that people can be invested and interested in. You know, like this is an A plus from from MVP and Netflix. Completely agree. And I guess my other question in reaction to all this was, does this close the door on Nate fighting for the UFC again? Does this close the door on Connor Nate 3 happening inside of a UFC octagon? Like because I feel a lot of people are very confident that Nate was going to come back and I was just like I don't know why he would come back like he seems to be making more money doing other things maybe not teaming up with the the promotion or whoever was paying for the Mazadol boxing card maybe that was a misstep and a bad way to go in terms of getting paid but you know he made probably a good amount of money boxing Jake Paul he's making a bunch of money not fighting and bet your ass is getting a bag here so
Starting point is 00:08:47 I kind of feel like this is, uh, this shuts the door on a UFC return. Do you agree? Well, never say never. Um, when Nate first left, I was very confident that he wasn't coming back, even though he very clearly left the door open to return because he's good at business. I was like, why would he come back? He can just get paid more, take more of the profit from stuff. And I thought, you know, all those years ago, whatever that three years ago it is now, I was like, he's leaving and Connor Nate three will happen outside of the UFC the UFC missed their window Connor has a limited number of fights left he's going to fight at his contract and they Connor and Nate have a handshake wink wink deal let's just get out of the UFC and then we can
Starting point is 00:09:33 make all the money and as the years have gone on that just seemed less likely because it's like okay Connor has been gone forever now you know like Connor hasn't been fighting he still has two fights off in his deal, though maybe that's not the case now because of the shift to pay-per-view points. There is like a legal argument that the, you know, Conner's deal was primarily based on a value added by pay-per-view, which no longer exists. So that could sort of render his deal moot. He seems to be in some level of negotiation with the promotion, whether that will pan out,
Starting point is 00:10:07 I guess we'll find out. It seems to me like this probably won't happen. but if Connor does sign a new deal with the UFC, then the only place it can happen is the UFC. And that's still the most money Nate can ever make. So I won't write off Nate returning to the UFC entirely. Because I don't think the UFC is going to hold this against him. You know, like they seem to be on fine terms with Nate.
Starting point is 00:10:32 You know, he has been a hard negotiator, but they've never really come out and said anything super negative to my knowledge about it. And so I think they'll just look at this and be like, man, MVP's doing a lot. but from the U.S.C's position, it's all about sustainability. This isn't sustainable from MVP, right? Like they can't produce like cards week over week like the UFC can. And they're not even trying to really compete with them in the terms that the UFC's business operates on. And so ultimately the U.C doesn't care.
Starting point is 00:11:03 But this is just the thing that kind of looks bad for the UFC when a half-ass promoter is putting on cards that are bigger deals than any, like the biggest. cards you're putting. The optics are bad, but the paycheck's the same. So you see, I don't think we'll ultimately care. I don't know if you saw this, but there are opening odds for this fight. They have changed within minutes, within minutes, literally. Who do you think is the favorite? I assume Nate Diaz is the favorite. Mike Perry opened as the minus 135 favorite, the comeback on Nate Diaz at plus 105, according to Bet Online AG. I'm sorry, we beat this? Mike Perry minus 135, Nate Diaz plus 105. I'm looking at this, courtesy of Shamatkar Sandu, I believe, has a partnership with bedonline.
Starting point is 00:11:50 com. Within minutes, the line swung to Mike Perry minus 265, Nate Diaz plus 205. I mean, if the money, it's moving like that, I will be happy to invest in Nate Diaz at some point in time. I'm not saying Mike Perry can't win, but this isn't boxing. This isn't a PCFC. This is an MMA fight. Mike Perry is not a very good MMA fighter. He never was.
Starting point is 00:12:13 He was a fun of a MMA fighter. And, like, I always respected his game because I thought that his MMA game was smartly put together despite its clear deficiencies, right? Like, he, his MMA game was always built around the stuff he could do and not the stuff he couldn't do, which not every MMA fighter has. But, like, he was, NAPT is a substantially better MMA fighter than Mike Perry has ever been. And it's an M.A fight. So, like, Mike Perry may win. I'm not saying Mike is a sitting duck here, but, like, at the minimum, this year. be a 50-50.
Starting point is 00:12:46 I kind of like the odds where they opened that. I thought Nate would be like kind of maybe a slight favorite, probably around the same, flip it. But yeah, seeing Perry, you already ballooned no minus 265 is pretty wild. And that addresses, I guess, the next topic I want to go to, Jed. There are people concerned for Nate right now. He's a little bit older. He has been in some wars.
Starting point is 00:13:07 He's taken a bunch of damage. He bleeds very easily. And I even see it in the comments section here. I saw it in the common section with the social graphics. Nate, don't do this. Bad idea. I don't want to see Nate in this situation. Do you have any concerns about this fight when it comes to Nate Diaz competing and having his first MMA fight in almost four years?
Starting point is 00:13:30 No, I think if Nate was trying to fight Mike Perry and BKFC, I'd be concerned because he already cuts so much. Like, that would be a bad idea. This is, I'm kind of taken aback by like any sort of. sort of negative reaction to this fight because you could be ambivalent. If you're like, this just isn't to your taste. I get it, man. Like, this is not the world's best
Starting point is 00:13:52 MMA fighters at this point. So if you're just like, eh, this doesn't move the needle for me, fine. I got like, but to be like, this is a bad match. It's like,
Starting point is 00:14:00 this is a perfect matchup. Mike Perry was never a great MMA fighter. Nate was a better one. He's a little older, but he still has like a clear avenue to victory. Mike Perry's best traits are not available in MMA, A, realistically, where it's like he's just kind of gritty and can make you suffer in a way that people are bad at and he is good at, like in bare knuckle.
Starting point is 00:14:23 That's not really the case. Not like Mike's going to knock out Nate. Maybe, I mean, Nate's had a lot of damage, but maybe Nate, you know, takes enough shots and Mike can get a Jorge Moss for all less stoppage. That's in play. But like, I think this is just a very competitive fight. And I assume they're both going to get paid a bundle. Fortunately, we are going to know because this is happening in California.
Starting point is 00:14:45 So we will get salaries. But like the idea that Nate shouldn't do this seems ludicrous to me. If this was and maybe it is just because it's so fresh, everyone's like, oh, this must be in bare knuckle. And at that, I would be like, yeah, that's probably not the best idea. MMA fight. No problems whatsoever here. Yeah. I think it's, I think it's actually perfect matchmaking at this point in their careers, how long
Starting point is 00:15:08 they've been out of the M of it, out of the MMA game, so to speak. like it kind of evens the odds a little bit in a lot of respects. And I think the way people are going to view this is the way people should view this. It's if this stays on the feet, if Nate can't tackle Mike, Mike probably going to have a decent day at the office. But Nate is a pretty strategic boxer and he can jab very well. He's got some pretty good leg kicks. He is a little bit sneaky on the feet.
Starting point is 00:15:32 Mike's obviously going to have the power advantage and the size advantage in this fight. Mike's pretty big dude. And we got to keep in mind too. Like Mike cutting to 170. I don't remember the last time he's done that. Did he, I don't know if he just did that for Jeremy Stevens or if they kind of met somewhere in the middle between 170, 185. That cut for Perry is, is pretty tough these days. So maybe that kind of evens the odds a little bit.
Starting point is 00:15:56 But I think this is really good match. There's a clinch in this fight too. Like Mike Perry hasn't fought in a clinch in forever. Like, and Nate was always a really good clinch for it. It was actually probably the best, like people, you know, his ground game is what gets the credit. But like, really, he was a much better clinch. fighter like I just think this is a very good matchup and either dude can win like for on an x as an o standpoint I'm like pretty into this especially because it's as your best friend likes
Starting point is 00:16:24 to say age appropriate matchmaking like bears like 35 it's not like he is a 26 year old marauder you know like this is just great fight great fight yeah this is big I'm curious see what is next what else gets added to this card I do they need to really add any other big like big names to this Like I think these three fights and then you sprinkle in maybe a couple of notable names. Like I saw some people saying maybe they do Makaya versus Adriano Martins or not Adrian Martinez. That'd be okay. There's a rumor abound that Saladin Parnas is going to be competing. And when I saw that this morning, I was like, yes.
Starting point is 00:17:00 Because that I think that, I mean, right now you have all the name value you need. And especially if you at some point want to do like the argument to not doing this fight on this card, frankly, is that this fight could just headline a second card later, but I had no problem with them putting it here. I'm just saying, if you're playing devil's advocate, I'd be like, we're putting a lot of eggs in one basket. They could have done an 8D as Mike Perry thing on Netflix. Not still would have done pretty well from a number standpoint on its own. But like now, if you can pull in some other good fighters, like that's kind of what you should look for at this point, in my opinion, just good guys who are outside the UFC for one reason.
Starting point is 00:17:40 another that you can find a way to work with. If you can put Mahamahev, I'm a little more questionable because sometimes his style is not the most friendly. He's been much better since leaving the UFC. Some of that's matchmaking, whatever. But like if you just get some good dudes who
Starting point is 00:17:56 can bring something else to the table, we don't need to go full retirement tour all the old people fight. But a Saladin Parnasse versus like a random dude would be really fun. You know, and just give hardcore MMMA. Yeah. And just give hardcore MM.
Starting point is 00:18:10 fans again I will I will scream this until somebody tells me that I'm wrong and I'm not wrong it might just not happen for stupid reasons Gable Steveson should be calling
Starting point is 00:18:25 everyone all the time to be on this like there's no unless he is going he needs to either be on the White House card or this card he should do both frankly but like I don't know who's managing him you are failing in your job outright.
Starting point is 00:18:44 And if you have a problem, my DMs are open and we can talk about it. You are straight up mismanaging Gable Steven if he is not at the White House or on this MVP card. It should be both, but it should at the bare minimum be one of them. So get on the card, dude. It should not be that hard to do. Yeah, I mean, if he's not on that White House card, if he is not under a UFC contract right now, which something tells me like he's on, I would say he's probably on like some sort of like quote unquote developmental deal of some kind.
Starting point is 00:19:15 Like I think they'd be absolutely insane to not have him locked down like they did with if he was on a UFC contract, he'd be on the White House card. And I guess that can still happen. But like you just need to do it. Like I don't cable needs to come out and get on one of these. It will be a huge blunder to not be on either of them. Completely agree. And then, you know, to do some prelims with some.
Starting point is 00:19:39 local California talent, some guys hit up LFA and see if, you know, hit up. Everybody who fights on this card should be fun. That's the only rule at this point. You've got the names. Anybody who's like, that's why I'm a little questionable of my hive because that could not be fun. You need to be scouting dudes who are bangers and you need to handshake deal, whatever it is, wink, wink, nudge,
Starting point is 00:20:01 hey man, this is the biggest opportunity of your life. And I'll be frank, winning and losing does not matter for this opportunity. you need to be fun. And we picked you because your style is fun anyway. Swear to God, if you go out there and start being boring, however it is, clinch stalling, whatever, we're going to pull a Walter Walker and cancel a fight and the fight. Like, you need to, every other fight need to just be a fun fight because that is what this needs to be for those fighters and for the promotion. Yep, I like that idea.
Starting point is 00:20:34 All right, let's see what you guys have to say about this. Justin Cash, they need to add Parker Porter to the card. Damn right. Now, honestly, if you're going to, Parker, I believe, is about to have a BKFC fight. So I don't know if he's going to be available for this because Parker Porter's last BKFC fight was an absolute, it was a war. It was one of the best fights of the year. And he did win that fight eventually, but I have a hard time believing he's going to get out of that fight unscathed. But he'd be a perfect opponent for Gable.
Starting point is 00:21:06 you'd be a perfect one dude i mean again gable steven and jarlovsky just do it that's fine it's like this is i don't i pitched this a month ago and it's it has never been wrong or bad and that it hasn't happened is boggling my mind i saw a couple of these today and throughout this uh elizuan would love for nick to get a huge payday no i see now that would be bad nix no like i'm not even kidding like nick d has needs to not fight if you've seen any anything about him from the past decade. I do not wish to see him compete at all. If he wants to get a payday to be the ring announcer,
Starting point is 00:21:45 that'd be funny. But like, nope. Oh, no, call Walter Walker. What are you doing? I think Nick could be fun in a similar vein. But like,
Starting point is 00:21:54 yeah, like, no, Nick is the guy who are like, no, I clutch my pearls and be like, why in God's name is he fighting? Nate's fine to fight.
Starting point is 00:22:02 Yeah, I think Nick still has fights on his UFC deal. So I don't know if he, I mean, the UFC could just say, like yeah man go go do you and make some money but i mean you think at this point they would just be like no you're not going to fight this is a brett heart owen heart kind of a situation where it's like no like you're staying this we want you here and we don't want you going on this card so yeah i'm
Starting point is 00:22:24 i'm honestly curious to see actually i think i already know what dana white's going to say about it like he will be asked about this in some sort of interview and his answer will be good for them we'll see what happens yeah like that's literally what he's going to say yep He's just like, yep, there you go. Yeah, it's one card. Can they do another one? It's not easy. Not as easy.
Starting point is 00:22:43 Everyone thinks they can run an MMA organization. And that is true. It's like it is very true thing. But like they're trying and that's awesome. Get so yeah, get Saladin Parnasse on this card. That'd be cool. Get Gable Steven on this card. That'd be cool.
Starting point is 00:22:59 I'm trying to think of like random other people who are of and coming and would add some real juice. you know, like, like somebody who's like a Patty Pimble, like seven years ago or whatever, you know, like before they got there. Just who's the next person. Who's the dude? Who's the dude who like has a win over Connor who the UFC trying to make a thing was another like Irish guy. Oh. Oh. Oh.
Starting point is 00:23:24 Oh. Give me a minute. Give me a minute. I'm just going to look it up now. It's going to drive me insane. Joe Duffy. Joe Duffy. Yes.
Starting point is 00:23:32 Joe Duffy was a thing for a minute. He was a good little fighter. Yeah. wasn't a great fighter. Soldich. I think Sold just a little past his prime, but like Soldich a couple of years ago, it's like, yeah, that guy would have been,
Starting point is 00:23:45 would have been on the money. I mean, realistically, instead of Philippe Lins, it should be Francis versus Phil de Freeze. Eddie Hall's just like, that can do its own thing. But like to be the co-main,
Starting point is 00:24:00 Phil de Freeze, right? Like Francis will kill him, but that's big. But yeah, these are the sorts of things to do, man. Like, have some fun here. At Desjardin, our business is helping yours.
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Starting point is 00:24:33 Marvel Television's Wonder Man An eight-episode series Now streaming on Disney Plus A superhero remake, not exactly what we'd expect from an Oscar winning director. Action! Sign me Williams, audition for Wonder Man. I'm gonna need you to sign this,
Starting point is 00:24:52 assuming you don't have superpowers. I'll never work again if anyone found out. My lips are sealed. Marvel Television's Wonder Man. All eight episodes now streaming. Only on Disney Plus. Anderson versus Wyman. I don't think you need this one.
Starting point is 00:25:09 I don't think you need it anymore. If you do another one, you can throw that in there somewhere. Anthony Pettis versus Benson Henderson. Ben, Bendo's booked for PFL and the athlete is not going to go well for him. I don't need three of those. I mean, if that happens, it's fine, I guess, but no. Yeah, that's.
Starting point is 00:25:27 And that's again, trending towards older people. I'm now trying to think of, like, who are younger, talented people outside the UFC that can, have a role here. What's his name? Golly. How do I not know his name? Oh, oh, give me a moment.
Starting point is 00:25:45 How do I not know his name? I just had him. He just fought in the UFC. How do I not know this? Just fought in the UFC. He just fought in the UFC. And then he had a, like, a sick fight. And I did, like, a whole friggin' story on him.
Starting point is 00:25:58 Gianni Vasquez. So Gianni Vasquez had that, like, really fun fight on, like, three days notice with Javid Basherat. And now he's out of the UFC. see. Like, they just, like, let him go. Let me tell you, here's one that they should do. Kimuakimoto,
Starting point is 00:26:16 the Risen dude who just blew up patchy mix, who's awesome. He's 20 years old and rocks. Like, get that dude. Get that dude to blow somebody up. Like, that'd be fun as hell. So, he mostly blows up everybody. I've only seen a couple of his fights in Risen because he's 20 whatever, but, like, he just,
Starting point is 00:26:33 like, he had his, the patchy mix win, where he, just dismantled patchy mix honestly in a way that is somewhat akin to Vigeos over Josh Emmett like that's his coming out party to the broader movie fandom
Starting point is 00:26:49 get that dude get that dude in against somebody let him blow somebody up that'd be fun as hell Woodley versus MVP no I mean MVP's fighting on Saturday but I want old people anymore uh well weight class will be a 170
Starting point is 00:27:04 it'll be a 170 dude Gabriel Steve and Todd Duffy would be totally fine. I mean, Todd Duffie probably shouldn't be fighting, but that would be totally fine. Yeah, that's the way. Gable Steve and Andre is the correct fight,
Starting point is 00:27:17 but Todd Duffy would be fine. Yeah, I love that idea. I've tried to think, yeah, just loaded up with some local talent to get people in the butts to the seats early, talent you know who can sell tickets. Like I said,
Starting point is 00:27:29 hit up like the LFA's of the world and be like, hey, who do you recommend? You guys host events in California all the time. Like, who would you recommend? we put on this card. Go to like AKA and be like,
Starting point is 00:27:39 Javi, who's, who's a dude who's going to be fun and not from Dagestan? Because we don't want to run the risk of like that crop, but like, who's a two and oh guy on your thing
Starting point is 00:27:49 who will just go in and murder somebody? That'd be cool. Yeah. Put a couple of those on there at a couple of young fun dudes. I'm really into this Akamoto idea now. They should really do that. Put Akamoto and Parnas on this card.
Starting point is 00:28:04 And, hell, and baby we're cooking with fire. Yeah, there's like a lot of PFL fighters who like aren't fighting right now. What's Cedric Dumbay up to? Like throw him on the card too. Like let's just have some some real fun.
Starting point is 00:28:18 Squash match central highlight reels, viral social media knockouts. Like that's the stuff we're looking for right there. That's what this car needs to be. Just fun scraps and set a tone that, you know, if you don't want to watch like, you don't want to watch like your everyday Saturday night card like come here every
Starting point is 00:28:38 few months and let's do some crazy stuff Dubey's injured silly even like an injured Dubei against like an 114 guy Yeah Dube would be like a good name but I assume he is actually under PFO contract Romero versus VD Dubey Dube Lachdain's a free agent if Brendan Lockdain's a free agent
Starting point is 00:28:57 Put that put Brendan Locknard against Acomoto And let's just light the world on fire baby Oh that's really fun Super fun man come on what about yel l ramara versus vitor belfort old people and you're talking to the world's number one yel lover but they're old i don't i don't want old versus old either an old man gets slaughtered by gable or they don't belong here on this car anymore we've got enough old names attached put some fun mid to younger people at this point if you can only watch one rob asks what are you
Starting point is 00:29:31 picking MVP this card or ufc white house i'm it's a tough one because of the pomp and circumstance of the white house cards are better fights they are more significant important fights so i will pick the white house card because those are just more significant to the overall course of mama history but i will have more fun at the mvp card i don't think that's in question yeah and way more people are going to watch the mvp card uh energy is this card already better than UFC 300 for casual appeal. Oh my God, yeah. Probably for casual appeal.
Starting point is 00:30:11 Yeah, by a billion miles. Probably. But like for, like for hardcore fans, for those of us in the chat, like UFC 300 is, that was like one of my everything's, that card.
Starting point is 00:30:23 It was just so well done. They over, they overhyped like what the main event could be. Wait to see what we do here. But the card in general, like, I don't think anybody put that card over on paper more than we did heading into it. We were.
Starting point is 00:30:36 On paper it was the best thing the UFC's ever put together. And coincidentally, the second to last time they tried, I think one of the New York cards was pretty decent. Last year's New York was pretty decent. But other than that, they haven't tried. But 300 was awesome. Darren Till versus Roberto Sold Deach. What about Darren Till on this card?
Starting point is 00:30:59 Maybe we set up a Darren Till Mike Perry. Maybe we set up a Darren Till Mike Perry MMA fight. I could be talked into it. I could be talked into it. Yeah. It didn't like immediately scratch me where I itch, but I could be talked into that, I guess. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:31:13 Darren would be like one of those guys that would be, that'd just be an interesting name to have on there. But I mean, dude, he's, he's out there doing the influencer boxer thing and, and making money. He's an influencer boxer promoter now. He's got his own thing.
Starting point is 00:31:27 Yeah. If they get Adrian Mariah, Salad Parnachi, sold it, then yes, his MVP card is over the way. still won't be over the White House card. The White House card are, those are mostly, well, again, I am about as negative as anyone is on that card,
Starting point is 00:31:45 but it is impossible to argue that the top two fights are not massively significant from a history standpoint and a meaning standpoint. Lopez Garcia is a rip shit banger and like a relevant good fight. And I mean, it is, Amon Zahabhi, Sean Amalley is a hilarious fight. It is objectively a very good fight. Like we know who the UFC wants to win, why this fight is happening. And I have some issues with that. But that fight in a vacuum is great. The other stuff happening is whatever.
Starting point is 00:32:19 But like these things are relevant in good fights. It's the MVP card is more fun. It's not as good as the White House card. There you have it, everybody. I mean, unless there's, I don't think there's really anything else to add to that. I think we fit this pretty hard. Yes. So if you're just joining us, you're like, what the hell is going on here?
Starting point is 00:32:40 Excuse me. Nate Diaz is back in MMA, fighting Mike Perry, May 16th, as part of the Ronda Rousey Gina Corona Card. By the way, this should be the co-man event over Francis versus Felipe, right? Yes, 100%. This should be the co-main event. Let Francis Philippe open the triple header. Then you go right into this one, and then you go right into Rhonda and Gina.
Starting point is 00:33:04 And I think you got it. I think you nailed it. I think you nailed it. I mean, there would be an argument that should be the co-main anyway. If Francis was fighting somebody good, and that is not to be a disrespect to Felipe Linz, who's actually a good fighter, but has zero appeal to anyone. Nobody knows him.
Starting point is 00:33:23 This isn't like even a Francis is fighting the local hero. Like, this is, nobody knows Felipe Lenz. He is, for all intents and purposes, he is the same as fighting me, right? Like other three villains will give him a harder fight than I would. But like that's he brings literally zero to the table. If Francis was fighting somebody else who did bring something to the table, there'd be an argument that that should be the co-main.
Starting point is 00:33:51 But in the absence of that, nope. Nate Diaz bigger star. He gets second billing. Oh, yeah. Nate is a huge star. People follow that man. And this is the kind of fight where like if you were concerned about like ticket sales or anything like that, you are concerned no more.
Starting point is 00:34:06 Especially you being in Englewood, being in California, that thing's going to sell out. That's going to be a big ass gate that's going to do very well. Nate's fans travel. And if they don't have to travel very far, they don't have to travel very far. They don't have to travel very far. So this is massive news.
Starting point is 00:34:23 So great to see Nate back in there. Great to see Mike Perry get this opportunity. And yeah, MVP making a big move. And yeah, the UFC will not care. about this move let's just be totally clear about this but at least for today uh MVP getting a one up dropping the uppercut on dana white and the ultimate fighting championship but might connect me to somebody at MVP like i need somebody to put gable steveson on this can card it's just not that hard and nobody seems to understand this and i'm sure they have tried to get gable like i'm sure
Starting point is 00:34:58 text them again text them again i need someone to understand this because because no one is listening to me and I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Thanks for listening to us. Bye, bye. Love y'all. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything. Like packing a spare stick.
Starting point is 00:35:28 I like to be prepared. That's why I remember 988 Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. The 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada.

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