Netflix and Jake Paul are putting together one of the biggest fight cards of 2026. Headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, the card is being filled out with former UFC fighters like ex-heavyweight champion Francis Nagano and the latest additions–-Nate Diaz and Mike Perry.
Like Ngannou versus Philipe Lins, Diaz vs. Perry is a fight that no one was thinking about a day before it was announced, but now that you've been presented with it and it's going to be on Netflix and you already have a Netflix subscription, it doesn't actually sound so bad. And that's exactly as deeply as you're supposed to think about that.
It's unclear how big this card, which is Netflix's first mixed martial arts event, will get, but they are following a pretty simple formula of putting it together by grabbing names you've heard of who are no longer encumbered by UFC contracts.
In the case of Diaz and Perry they only need to look as far as Jake Paul's celebrity boxing résumé. Paul beat Diaz via decision in Aug. '23 and then knocked out Perry the very next summer. With Paul still recovering from jaw surgery following his own KO loss to Anthony Joshua in December, he's unable fight so he's filling the card with fighters he already has professional relationships with.
Here's how the fight card is shaking out with about two months to go.
Rousey vs. Carano fight card
Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Rousey and Carano is the fight that people once dreamed of and now Netflix is giving it to them. Both of them have been out of the cage for a few years, but there is still enough juice to headline Netflix's first MMA event.
Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
Ngannou is a former UFC champion who has been in a couple movies. Lynn is a former UFC fighter happy to compete around the legends on the card. I went into some more detail on the Ngannou-Lins fight when it was announced.
Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
Perry went 7-8 in five years with the UFC. He lost four of his last five and turned to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, where he went 6-0 over the last few years with a number of wins over other former UFC fighters. That, combined with his history with Paul, make him a perfect addition to this card.
Diaz, who turns 41 next month, is actually coming off of a win against Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in Sep. '22. He also beat former UFC contender Jorge Masvidal in a boxing match in July '24. According to the press release, it is time for his return:
“Glad to be back n action. It’s time,”said Nate Diaz.“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, so get ready for a new takeover again and again until the end of time.”
For an idea of how long Diaz has been around,Netflix was still mailing you DVDs when he originally entered the UFC in June '07 through The Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV. SpikeTV relaunched as Paramount Network in '18.
When is the Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano fight?
The Rousey-Carano fight will take place on Netflix on May 16.
While this is Netflix's first ever MMA event, the streamer has dabbled in sports broadcasts before. Netflix has broadcast the WWE, the NFL on Christmas, a hot dog eating contest between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, and multiple Jake Paul boxing matches, including fights against Joshua and Mike Tyson.
Spectacle is clearly the name of the game for Netflix and this card promises to bring that at least.
A look at the first-ever MMA event on Netflix right now:
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) March 16, 2026
👊 RONDA ROUSEY vs. GINA CARANO
👊 FRANCIS NGANNOU vs. PHILIPE LINS
👊 NATE DIAZ vs. MIKE PERRY
Buckle up 🔥#RouseyCarano
Saturday, May 16
LIVE on Netflix pic.twitter.com/tw8qyI6sjI
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano Netflix Fight Card Updates: Nate Diaz Makes Return to MMA.
