By Samuel Faris-Clark
Netflix is set to make a major splash in the world of combat sports on May 16, 2026.
The streaming giant, in partnership with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), will broadcast its first-ever live MMA event from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
The card features a stunning triple-header with legendary star power.
Main event: Rousey vs Carano
The main event is a match-up a decade in the making, pitting two pioneers of women’s MMA against each other.
Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion and Olympian, returns from a decade-long retirement to face Gina Carano, who hasn’t competed since 2009.
For Rousey, it marks a return to the sport she once dominated, while for Carano, it is a chance to reclaim her legacy as the sport’s original face.
This fight is undoubtedly the centrepiece of a card designed to celebrate MMA history.
READ MORE: Boxing news: Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing sign landmark multi-year agreement
Co-main event: Ngannou vs Lins
Adding significant firepower to the card is a heavyweight bout between Francis Ngannou and Philipe Lins.
Ngannou, widely regarded as the most destructive knockout artist in MMA history, makes his highly anticipated return to the cage following his departure from the PFL.
Standing across from him is Brazilian veteran Philipe Lins, a former PFL heavyweight champion who is on a four-fight win streak.
And Lins will be eager to spoil The Predator’s return after nearly two years out of action.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: England news: Thomas Tuchel names 35-man squad in battle for World Cup places
Featured bout: Diaz vs Perry
The third pillar of this triple-headliner is a welterweight clash between two of the sport’s most beloved cult heroes.
Nate Diaz, the Stockton legend and ‘Real BMF’, returns to MMA for the first time since 2022 to face the always-game Mike ‘Platinum’ Perry.
MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian aptly described the match-up as a guaranteed “war”, pitting Diaz’s elite cardio and boxing against Perry’s relentless, violent pressure, which he has honed in bare-knuckle boxing.
The five-round bout promises to deliver non-stop action.
With a card featuring icons like Rousey, Ngannou and Diaz, Netflix’s inaugural MMA event aims to establish MVP as a major player in the sport.
READ NEXT: ‘Ted Lasso’ star Cristo Fernández chases pro football dreams with USL’s El Paso Locomotive