BKFC founder David Feldman is planning to offer Nate Diaz a bare-knuckle fight with Mike Perry after his UFC contract expired.
Diaz is now a free agent after winning his final fight with the UFC last weekend against Tony Ferguson. The veteran will move on from a 15-year stint with the promotion, and he is eyeing a number of other lucrative challenges including a new career in the boxing ring.
The 37-year-old has been linked with a number of potential opponents including YouTube star Jake Paul whom he could face after his rival takes on Anderson Silva. Bare-knuckle boxing promoter Feldman has now suggested he will put all of his available resources into convincing Diaz to accept an appearance in the BKFC.
"I can't tell you whether he's coming or not, but I can tell you that we want him here at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and we're going to do everything we can do to get him a bare-knuckle fight," Feldman said during an episode of the official podcast of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
"I think that the fans would absolutely love to see – both have the same type of personality, both just guys that keep fighting – Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry would be a fan's dream fight." Perry himself made the switch from the UFC to the bare-knuckle ranks after suffering back-to-back defeats.
He fought Julian Lane in his debut earlier this year which ended in a resounding victory, before most recently outpointing Bellator star Michael 'Venom' Page who also made the move to bare-knuckle competition. A fight between Diaz and Perry would no doubt capture the imagination of fans, with both men known for their trash-talking antics at press conferences and putting on entertaining displays.
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Diaz is not expected to return to the UFC until he explores options outside of the octagon, which could also include a third meeting with Conor McGregor in another discipline. However the Stockton native wants to get one up on his rival by showing young fighters the blueprint to being successful in two different sports.
"I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show all these UFC fighters how to take over and own up another sport how you’re supposed to do it," he said after his UFC 279 win. Because Conor McGregor didn’t know how to do it. None of these other fighters know how to do it. So I’m going to go out there and I’m going take over another profession and become the best at that. Show everybody I’m the best at that and then I’m going to be right the f*** back here to get a motherf****** UFC title. The best title in the world.”
