Matt Brown is not convinced by the latest back-and-forth surrounding Nate Diaz’s decision to fight outside the UFC, and he believes the real reason comes down to one thing,money.
Diaz is set to face Mike Perry on May 16 on the undercard of the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event, which will stream live on Netflix under Most Valuable Promotions. The matchup comes after UFC CEO Dana White claimed Diaz walked away from a UFC return in favor of a more lucrative outside offer.
Diaz later pushed back, saying the UFC actually offered him more money for a potential trilogy fight with Conor McGregor, but still chose to decline. Matt Brown, however, says he is not buying that version of events.
“I lean towards believing Dana on this,” Matt Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “He got an offer he couldn’t refuse. Now how Nate’s spinning it with the way the contract is structured, maybe there’s something behind the scenes under some layers that we’re not privy to just yet. But there’s no way he’s not making more money.”
Matt Brown doubled down, saying Diaz has always understood how to maximize his value—and this situation is no different.
“I don’t believe it for a second that he’s not making more money with this Netflix deal,” Brown continued. “However it plays out, his bank account ends up with more money from this fight than it does in the UFC—or he doesn’t take the fight.”
Matt Brown made it clear he sees Diaz’s decision through a financial lens, not a competitive one.
“He’s going to pick the highest bidder,” Brown said. “I don’t think that’s unique to Nate Diaz, but I think he understands this is prize fighting. He’s fighting for money. He’s going to take the highest pay.”
The upcoming bout is expected to be a one-fight deal, meaning Diaz could re-enter free agency after facing Perry. Still, questions remain about whether he will ever return to the UFC.
During the same interview, Matt Brown also broke down the matchup itself, suggesting Diaz is taking a very dangerous stylistic challenge against a heavy hitter like Perry.
“Nate’s a hittable guy,” Brown said. “That’s not an insult, it’s just reality. Mike Perry hits very hard. He’s going to have to withstand those shots to keep working late in the fight. That’s his path.”
Brown also contrasted the Perry fight with what a Conor McGregor trilogy might have looked like, arguing that the UFC matchup would have been bigger but still not enough to change Diaz’s financial decision if the numbers didn’t match.
“Conor is a way bigger fight,” Brown said. “Even if people argue about the timing, the attention, the history, it’s massive. But at the end of the day, Diaz is not passing on more money for a tougher fight.”
Matt Brown ultimately believes there is more to the story than what has been made public.
“There’s something where the math is not adding up,” Brown said. “There are things going on behind closed doors that we don’t know about. Maybe it’s contract structure, maybe it’s control, maybe it’s long-term deals. But it’s not just as simple as money versus no money.”
