Nate Diaz is returning to MMA, but not with UFC. And that might become an issue if he wanted to make that return someday. 

It was announced on Monday that Diaz would be returning to the sport with a fight against fellow UFC alum and Jake Paul boxing opponent, Mike Perry, and that was something that more than excited the die-hard Diaz fans that wanted to see him return. 

Continuously since he departed UFC had there been calls for him to be brought back, and Ariel Helwani reported after his return was announced that the promotion was interested in doing so. 

“I can tell you the UFC was interested in bringing Nate Diaz back,” he said. “But at the end of the day, this was a no-brainer for Nate. I don’t think it’s going out on a limb to say this could be the most-watched MMA card of all time, because it’s on the biggest platform in the world.” 

Helwani continued to say that Diaz winning could raise his asking price, believing the competition to be “great for the fighters and the health of the sport.” 

Not just this, but the way I heard it, Diaz taking this fight closes the door on a UFC return completely. So whatever Diaz is making or planning for future fights, he’s doing so knowing there’s no UFC homecoming possible now. https://t.co/CXYKKl0BOv

— Luke Thomas🏋️‍♀️ (@lthomasnews) March 16, 2026

Luke Thomas added to Helwani’s statement that Diaz “taking this fight closes the door on a UFC return completely.” Meaning that Diaz had likely secured a payday he was confident in shutting that door in favor of.

Following up on that, Thomas said that there was disappointment from UFC’s side that he had taken the Jake Paul fight to turn them down, and in signing with MVP for this upcoming fight appears to have rejected them again. 

WrestleMania 43 is set to take place from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next year, but according to a new report, WWE has “contingency plans” in place as the war in the Middle East continues, and after the United States launched a military initiative in February against Iran that has created ongoing conflict.

According to PWInsider Elite, there are currently no changes in place for WrestleMania 43’s location in 2027. Company sources noted to the outlet, however, that contingency plans are in place for events in that region. PWIE was told WWE officials are paying attention in the ongoing conflict and if they need to address the situation, they will, but currently do not have the need to.

The next WWE event in Saudi Arabia is set for this summer. Upcoming big events, such as F1’s Bahrain & Saudi Arabia Grands Prix have been canceled due to the war. Both races were set for April. WWE has yet not publicly announced a date for its summer 2026 Saudi show. WWE’s most recent event in the Kingdom took place in January with the Royal Rumble.

WWE’s Night of Champions event in June 2025 was jeopardized due to Saudi Arabia closing its airspace as Israel and Iran traded missiles, with Saudi physically sitting between the two nations on the map. A crew of WWE production employees were reportedly stranded in an airport in Qatar during the conflict, but Night of Champions went off without a hitch.

PWIE noted that while they had not been told of any specifics regarding any contingency plans related to WrestleMania 43, WWE has promised WrestleMania events to two cities, including Indianapolis. New Orleans is also set to host the event, as previously announced publicly on an episode of “WWE SmackDown” by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ahead of WWE pivoting back to Las Vegas for WrestleMania 42.

In the coming weeks, WWE will unveil the official set for WrestleMania 42, emanating from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. And for some lucky fans, they can enjoy the two-night action from atop that very set.

As announced on Tuesday, WWE and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) have partnered up to provide fans with an opportunity to purchase seats positioned on top of the WrestleMania 42 stage. Described as a “one-of-a-kind elevated viewing experience,” sales for these premium seats will begin on Friday, March 20 at 1pm ET, or 10 am PT, through Ticketmaster.

WrestleMania 41, also centered in Las Vegas, adopted a set inspired by the city’s resort and entertainment culture. The theme for this year’s premium live event atmosphere has yet to be seen.

Two-day combo tickets for “The Show of Shows” went live last September, with individual event tickets following suit on Black Friday. As of late February, 35,690 tickets had been purchased for night one of WrestleMania 42, while night two totaled 36,372. Compared to 2025, this year’s two-night event was down 17,252 in overall sales.

WrestleMania 42 will take place on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. So far, five matches are confirmed, including the newly-added Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi. Elsewhere, CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against “The OTC” Roman Reigns, while Cody Rhodes puts the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against his former mentor Randy Orton. On the women’s side, Liv Morgan will challenge Stephanie Vaquer for the WWE Women’s World Championship. Elimination Chamber winner Rhea Ripley will face Women’s Champion Jade Cargill.