MVP MMA Netflix Adds Nate Diaz vs Mike Perry — But Is It a Real Promotion or a Pro Wrestling Spot Show?

Jake Paul’s MVP MMA Netflix card keeps getting louder. Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry was confirmed this week as the third headliner on the May 16 event at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, joining Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano and Francis Ngannou versus Philipe Lins in what is being marketed as the most star-studded MMA fight card ever assembled. Netflix’s 325 million subscribers will get the whole thing at no extra cost. On paper, the names are enormous. In practice, every single one of them is closer to retirement than a title shot — and that distinction matters more than the hype machine wants you to believe.

That was the central debate on this week’s Ringside Report MMA, where Dave Simon, AJ D’Alesio, and Fred Garcia spent the better part of an hour dissecting whether MVP MMA Netflix represents a genuine shift in the sport or just a very expensive nostalgia act. The answer, as it usually does in combat sports, depends on which side of the argument you are willing to bet on.

Meanwhile, the UFC announced what might be the best fight of 2026 — Khamzat Chimaev defending his middleweight championship against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 in Newark — and the hosts broke down Saturday’s UFC London card headlined by the undefeated Movsar Evloev against Lerone Murphy in a featherweight title eliminator that deserves far more attention than it is getting.

MVP MMA Netflix: The Most Expensive Spot Show in MMA History?

The additions keep coming. First, it was Rousey and Carano — the nostalgic main event that is fifteen years too late as a competitive contest, but carries more mainstream recognition than any MMA fight card in recent memory. Then Ngannou versus Lins brought heavyweight legitimacy, or at least the closest thing to it outside the UFC.

And now Nate Diaz returns to MMA for the first time since beating Tony Ferguson in September 2022, taking on Platinum Mike Perry in a five-round welterweight bout under unified MMA rules. Perry, currently 6-0 in bare-knuckle boxing and the self-proclaimed King of Violence, has not fought in an MMA cage since leaving the UFC in 2021. Nobody is confusing this for a rankings fight. But as a card built to generate massive viewership on the world’s largest streaming platform, the lineup is undeniably stacked with recognisable names.

Support the Ringside Report Network

Up to 40% Off Great Gifts

Dave Simon’s take was more nuanced than the blanket dismissal some critics have offered, but his central argument cut right to the core of what separates a real promotion from an event: “This feels like a spot show. It doesn’t feel like they’re starting a promotion.” In pro wrestling, a spot show is exactly what it sounds like — you book a bunch of stars people remember, sell tickets for one night, say thank you very much, and go home. Nobody builds a future.

Nobody develops new talent. Nobody creates the next generation of draws. You cash in on recognition, pocket the money, and disappear until you decide to do it again next year. That is what Simon sees in the MVP MMA Netflix card as it currently stands.

The evidence supports the theory. As Dave pointed out, he does not believe there is a single person under 35 on the entire card. Nate Diaz is 40. Mike Perry is 34 — the youngest of the headliners, barely. Rousey has not competed since 2016. Carano has not fought since 2009.

Ngannou is in his late thirties and has been relatively inactive in MMA since leaving the UFC. These are names that sell. They are not names that build a promotional future. There are no championship belts on the line. There is no MVP 155-pound title. There is no contender series on the undercard showcasing the next wave of MMA talent. The UFC, whatever its flaws, does show every week with champions, number one contenders, rankings, and structure. MVP has none of that — at least not yet.

The Strikeforce Comparison That Exposes the Gap

The conversation inevitably turned to the last time a promotion mounted a credible challenge to the UFC’s dominance: Strikeforce. The San Jose-based promotion, run by Scott Coker and eventually acquired by the UFC in 2013, had something MVP currently lacks — fighters in their prime who could legitimately claim to be the best in the world at their weight class. Dave laid out the comparison with a specific example: the Strikeforce card featuring Cris Cyborg versus Gina Carano in 2009, which also saw Gegard Mousasi defend the light heavyweight title and Gilbert Melendez defend the lightweight title.

Both Mousasi and Melendez were arguably the best at their weight classes on the planet at the time. They were current, active, in-their-prime fighters who made you think, “Maybe the guy outside the UFC is actually better than the guy inside the UFC.”

The MVP card does not have that. Ngannou is the closest — he was the UFC heavyweight champion and never lost that title in the cage — but even he has been inactive enough that projecting his current level involves significant guesswork. Nate Diaz, for all his star power, was never the number one fighter at 155 or 170 pounds. He lost his championship opportunities against Benson Henderson.

Rousey was dominant once, but that was a decade ago. Carano was never even the best in her own division — Cyborg finished her. The difference between Strikeforce’s roster and MVP’s roster is the difference between a promotion that could genuinely threaten the UFC’s claim to have all the best fighters and one that can put on an entertaining night of fights with names people remember fondly.

AJ’s Counterargument: Netflix Changes Everything

AJ D’Alesio pushed back forcefully, and his argument deserves consideration. Strikeforce had talented fighters, a good promoter in Coker, and a television deal with Showtime — and it still failed as a business. The UFC bought them. AJ’s point is that the business landscape in 2026 is fundamentally different because of one word: Netflix. Strikeforce could not pay for marketing.

It could not reach a global audience of 325 million subscribers overnight. MVP can. Jake Paul has already proven he can move massive audiences — the Paul-Tyson boxing event reportedly drew 60 million households. If MVP can deliver similar numbers in its MMA debut, the money will follow. And when the money follows, roster building becomes possible.

AJ’s bigger thesis is that MVP does not need to beat the UFC at its own game right now. It needs a single massive debut event to prove the model works. Pay the fighters publicly — Rousey has already been vocal about fighter compensation — attract eyeballs, build buzz, and then use that leverage and revenue to start signing younger talent for a second event, and a third. It is a long-game argument, and it is not unreasonable. But it requires a second card to actually materialise, and right now, there is no announcement for the MVP MMA event number two.

Fred Garcia landed somewhere in the middle with the most practical question of the night: “When is the second show?” Because until there is a recurring schedule, a developing roster, and something resembling a promotional structure, MVP is entertainment, not competition. And the UFC does not lose sleep over entertainment. The UFC loses sleep over someone who can sign fighters away from their roster and build an alternative destination — and right now, MVP is not that.

## Reality Check: MVP MMA Netflix Is Fun, But the UFC Has Nothing to Worry About — Yet

> **The Reality:** Every fighter on the MVP MMA Netflix card is a name you recognise from a career that peaked somewhere else. That is exactly what a pro wrestling spot show looks like, and it is exactly why the UFC is not worried. The moment MVP signs a Gable Steveson, announces a championship structure, and books a second event with young fighters, the conversation changes. Until then, this is a spectacular one-night party — not a promotional war.

The Name MVP Should Be Chasing: Gable Steveson

Dave Simon made the most compelling forward-looking argument of the night when he pointed to the one name that could change the entire perception of MVP as a legitimate MMA promotion: Gable Steveson. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling is 3-0 in professional MMA, training with Jon Jones, and is widely considered the biggest free agent prospect in the sport. He is 25 years old. Joe Rogan has publicly told Dana White that every heavyweight in the UFC is in trouble when Steveson arrives. Jon Jones has predicted Steveson will be the most elite heavyweight fighter on the planet within the next 12 months.

If MVP signed Steveson, the narrative shifts overnight. Suddenly, you are not just booking retired legends for nostalgia pops — you are investing in the future of the sport. Steveson in the MVP cage gives you Jon Jones in the building as a cornerman, which is its own massive draw. It tells the MMA world that MVP is serious about building something that endures beyond a single Netflix special. Dave’s argument was simple: “They should be throwing all the money possible at Gable Steveson.” It is hard to disagree. The fact that Steveson is reportedly in discussions with the UFC narrows the window, but that is exactly the kind of aggressive move a legitimate promotion would make.

UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland Is the Best Fight of 2026

While the MMA world debates whether MVP MMA Netflix is the future or a novelty, the UFC quietly announced what might be the most compelling matchup of the year. UFC 328 takes place May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with undefeated middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) defending against former champion Sean Strickland (30-7). The hosts were unanimous: this is the best fight the UFC has scheduled in 2026, a legitimate number one versus a legitimate number two, with personal animosity and stylistic intrigue to burn.

Chimaev’s relentless wrestling pressure and finishing ability have overwhelmed nearly everyone — he owns wins over Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker, and Kamaru Usman. Strickland, fighting out of Corona, California, is coming off an impressive stoppage of Anthony Hernandez and brings championship experience that Chimaev’s previous opponents largely lacked. The question Dave and Fred zeroed in on is whether Strickland’s takedown defence can hold up against Chimaev’s level of grappling. Fred noted that Strickland’s record does not feature many wrestlers of Chimaev’s calibre, making this a genuinely unpredictable fight.

Dave’s read was cautiously optimistic about Strickland’s chances: if Strickland keeps the fight standing, he has the tools — the jab, the forward pressure, the five-round durability — to make this a real problem for Chimaev. But he acknowledged that Chimaev’s wrestling has been dominant enough that leaning heavily towards him is the smart play. The press conferences alone are going to be worth the price of admission — both men have traded barbs publicly for months, and neither backs down from confrontation. Expect chaos.

UFC London: Why Lerone Murphy at +180 Is the Play

UFC Fight Night 270 hits the O2 Arena in London this Saturday — prelims at 1 PM ET, main card at 4 PM ET on Paramount+. The main event is a featherweight title eliminator between the number one-ranked Movsar Evloev (19-0) and number three-ranked Lerone Murphy (17-0-1), two undefeated contenders with a combined record of 36-0-1. The winner almost certainly earns a shot at the featherweight championship. It is the kind of fight that should be generating far more buzz than it is, and the Ringside Report crew broke it down with the detail it deserves.

Evloev is the betting favourite at -240, and the case for him is built on volume and relentless grappling. All nine of his UFC victories have come by decision, which tells you two things: he is extremely difficult to beat, and he is not a finisher. His wrestling metrics are elite — 42 recorded UFC takedowns with a relentless pace that grinds opponents into submission over five rounds. Murphy’s takedown defence sits at 51%, which is decent but not elite, and that is the number that makes Evloev the statistical favourite.

But Dave and AJ sided with the underdog, and their reasoning is sound. Murphy is the cleaner striker by a considerable margin — he lands 4.48 significant strikes per minute with a +1.97 striking differential, and he has three TKO finishes in the UFC, including a spectacular spinning-back-elbow knockout over Aaron Pico. He is fighting at home in England with what should be an electric O2 crowd behind him, and that home advantage in a five-round fight matters more than betting lines often suggest. If Murphy can keep the fight standing and avoid Evloev’s early wrestling storm, his striking output and finishing ability make him a genuine threat.

Fred went with the favourite, arguing that Evloev’s grappling is simply too persistent over five rounds for Murphy to keep the fight on the feet. It is a fair position — Evloev’s 81% clinch and ground control rate is a nightmare for anyone, but the value sits with Murphy at +180. Two of the three hosts took the dog, and in a fight this close between two undefeated fighters, that price is hard to ignore.

The UFC London Card Problem: Who Is Michael Aswell Jr?

Beyond the main event, Dave had some things to say about the rest of the UFC London card — and none of them were kind. The co-main event features Luke Riley versus Michael Aswell Jr. in a featherweight bout. Riley is making his second UFC appearance. Aswell is making his third. Between the two of them, they have three combined UFC fights. For a show at the O2 Arena in London — one of the UFC’s premier international venues — Dave found that insulting. “These guys have three UFC fights combined, and they’re in the co-main event of a show at the O2 in London. What are they doing?”

The criticism extended to the main card, where Iwo Baraniewski (7-0) takes on Austen Lane in just his second UFC bout — and only his eighth professional fight. Baraniewski is a Dana White Contender Series product who is likely to win comfortably against a Lane who has lost four of his last five, but the matchmaking does not exactly scream must-see television. Dave’s comparison to the MVP card was pointed and deliberate: “Say what you want about MVP, but when they do a card, at least I’ve heard of these people.”

The bright spot on the undercard is Michael “Venom” Page taking on Sam Patterson in a welterweight bout. Patterson is a dangerous striker, and Page remains one of the most entertaining fighters to watch in any weight class. Both Dave and AJ expect Page to take it, but Patterson is no pushover — he can hit hard and has legitimate tools to make it competitive. Beyond that, Roman Dolidze versus Christian Leroy Duncan at middleweight offers solid action. But the card’s overall depth left the hosts wishing they could fast-forward to the main event and skip the rest.

“Tell me when Movsar and Murphy are fighting and then I’ll tune in. The rest of this? I’ll watch the highlights on Twitter — if there are highlights.” — Dave Simon, Ringside Report MMA

UFC London Fight Picks Summary

Place your UFC London bets at Bet99. For the full fight-by-fight breakdown, the MVP debate in depth, and the Chimaev-Strickland analysis, catch the full Ringside Report MMA episode — live on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, DLive, and Kick every Thursday at 8 PM ET.

MVP MMA Netflix FAQs

🎙️ Ringside Report MMA is live every Thursday at 8 PM ET on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, DLive, and Kick.

🎧 Listen on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.

💰 All betting odds via Bet99. Please gamble responsibly.

🌐 More at RingsideReport.net — The Combat Sports Authority.