A UFC Hall of Famer believes Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry will fall short of high expectations ahead of the fan-friendly clash.
UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey will return to Mixed Martial Arts for the first time in nearly 10 years when she faces off with Gina Carano next month in a Most Valuable Promotions main event. This will mark Rousey’s first MMA fight since suffering back-to-back UFC losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
The card also features former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou’s MMA comeback against Philipe Lins, and an intriguing matchup between former UFC superstar Nate Diaz and the face of bare-knuckle fighting, Mike Perry. Diaz vs. Perry features two of the biggest fan favorites in modern combat sports and is expected to feature plenty of action once the fight kicks off.
But one of Diaz and Perry’s former rivals isn’t sold on the fight living up to the immense hype.
Donald Cerrone: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry ‘won’t be a good fight!’
In a recent interview on The Fight Guys, UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone, who fought Diaz and Perry in their UFC careers, shared a brutally honest take on their upcoming fight.
Why UFC Superstars Are Disappearing | Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone@ErikBadApple and @Cowboycerrone get real in the latest episode of The Fight Guys! 🥊 pic.twitter.com/28oroAtmWN
— BetOnline (@BetOnline_ag) April 17, 2026
“Nate and Perry won’t be a good fight, I think Nate beats his little monkey a**,” Cerrone said of Diaz vs. Perry.
“Nate will beat him on the ground, in the boxing, one thousand percent. If I were a betting person, I’d bet everything I had on Nate, one hundred percent. Just mental toughness, being a f****** gangster. On that alone, Nate would whoop his a** in the parking lot. Bare knuckle fighting is just street fighting, so you can be a really good street fighter until you get grappling and the whole Mixed Martial Arts aspect of it.
“Nate’s too versed all around for Perry,” Cerrone continued on Diaz vs. Perry. “Won’t be good for him.”
Cerrone defeated Perry by first-round armbar in November 2018, and fell to Diaz by unanimous decision at UFC 141. He retired from MMA following a submission defeat to Jim Miller at UFC 276.
What is your prediction for Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry? Let us know in the comments!
