Ariel Helwani makes major Nate Diaz claim as shock return fight confirmed

Nate Diaz will return to MMA when he takes on Mike Perry in May - but his comeback fight could have been much different, according to Ariel Helwani.

It was announced on Monday that Diaz vs Perry would be added to the undercard of Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano on May 16.

The event, which takes place at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, will see Diaz step into an MMA ring for the first time since September 2022.

It will be broadcast live on Netflix, and is not affiliated to the UFC.

But combat sports journalist Helwani claims that the UFC were 'interested' in making a return offer to Diaz, who won Ultimate Fighter 5 before joining the UFC.

Speaking on 'The Ariel Helwani Show', Helwani explained: "Nate was a free man. No secret, I can tell you that UFC was interested in bringing Nate back.

"This is the closest we've ever seen to a boxing/MMA card. Netflix isn't in the MMA business just yet. Right now, this is a one-off. They are in the event business.

"If you're Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, Francis Ngannou... you're signing one-fight deals to be on this card.

"So if you're Nate Diaz, who is looking at his options, he can be like, 'Hey, I can go back to the UFC now, and who knows how that will play out? It'll be four fights, six fights, multi-fights. As opposed to a one-off on the biggest platform in the world, 325 plus million subscribers'.

"Look at what that platform did to Anthony Joshua back in December [his boxing match against Jake Paul]. And Nate obviously isn't an unknown commodity in America, but it will raise his profile, no doubt about it.

"This could very well be, and I don't even think it's going out on a limb to say it, the most-watched MMA card of all-time. Because it's on the biggest platform, worldwide, of all-time.

"And so you go on here, you win this fight, all of a sudden you can go back to the UFC and say, 'Alright, the number just changed. Now I'm an even hotter commodity'.

"Or you could go elsewhere... or you can go back to them, if this is a success, you can ask for X, Y, Z. This is a very attractive opportunity for these guys and gals. This was a no-brainer for Nate."

Alongside Diaz's return fight and the main event between Rousey and Carano, Francis Ngannou will also compete against Philipe Lins.

Rousey, meanwhile, made a shock appearance in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on Sunday in what was the first time she had stepped in a wrestling ring since 2023.

AEW president Tony Khan spoke of Rousey's one-off appearance in Ring of Honor, which AEW owns, when addressing her arrival, but did not state whether the 39-year-old is planning to wrestle again.

"Ronda Rousey's a huge star," he told reporters during a media conference. "We have a great relationship with her.

"She's wrestled for me before in ROH, and she's always welcomed here in AEW anytime.

"She's got a big fight coming up against Gina Carano. Ronda's always been very good to me. I wish her all the best.

"Ronda's always welcome here, and anybody from AEW that wants to attend that fight is welcome to do so."