Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou have both made names for themselves outside of the UFC, and they're about to cross paths again in a unique setting.
The two will be part of Netflix's first MMA event, which is shaping up to be a significant moment for the streaming giant.
It's a big night all around, with Ronda Rousey returning to face Gina Carano in the main event. Before that, Ngannou takes on Philipe Lins and Diaz goes up against Mike Perry.
In the build-up, Ngannou appreciated how Diaz described the MVP MMA card as a lineup of 'free fighters'. Although they now share similar views on the fight game, that wasn't always the case between them.
Photo by Kaelin Mendez/Getty Images
Ngannou's split from the UFC happened after Diaz had already left the organisation, following his contract-ending win over Tony Ferguson. The Cameroonian's departure was made official in January 2023.
His exit came after a long-running contract dispute that dominated headlines throughout much of his time as heavyweight champion.
Ngannou had raised concerns about fighter pay well before leaving, including after his title win in 2021. At the time, he pointed out that Logan Paul earned $20 million for an exhibition boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, questioning why UFC fighters weren't making similar money.
Diaz later responded to Ngannou's comments during an interview with Kevin Iole for Yahoo Sports, but it wasn't exactly what Ngannou was hoping to hear.
"What is he doing wrong? What is Francis Ngannou doing wrong?" Diaz said during a 2021 interview with Kevin Iole for Yahoo Sports. "I've been doing more right than all these motherf—rs for years and years. They should've been spitting all that 'I need money' a long time ago like I was.
"I was never no champion, and I was saying, 'you drop me, let me get some money cracking.' And what happened? My stock just raised, anyway, and nobody was jumping on it.
"Now, they're like, 'What are we doing wrong?' I'm like, 'You should've listened to your daddy years ago.' All of you. The whole roster," he added.
"Everybody's rookies, though. So that's what you got going. Probably you're not getting no bag because of how bad you've been slacking it."
Read more:
