Team Diaz is returning to a card promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.
Promotional officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that former UFC star Nate Diaz’s teammate Chris Avila is returning to the boxing ring at MVP Fight Night on Aug. 23 at Caribe Royal in Orlando, Fla. Avila is set to face undefeated fighter Ariel Perez in a six-round light heavyweight bout. Avila vs. Perez opens the main card of the event
“I’m here to fight on Saturday, August 23,” Avila said in reaction to the bout. “I’m coming to win, get the job done and beat this dude’s ass.”
Avila is 6-1 competing in the squared circle, which includes a pair of decision wins over former UFC fighters Anthony Pettis and Jeremy Stephens. Avila looks to bounce back from his first loss in the boxing ring against former UFC champ Benson Henderson at Misfits Boxing 18 this past September.
Perez (7-0) is making his fourth appearance under the MVP banner, including a knockout win on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry event in July 2024. “Golden Hulk” makes a relatively quick turnaround following a decision win at MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 12 card in May, and plans to make a statement against the former MMA fighter.
“Avila is a guy who likes to do the talking, but we just show up and go to work,” Perez said. “We do our talking in the ring. He’s tough and it’s going to be a hell of a fight, but WE HIT DIFFERENT.”
Paul and MVP co-founder Nakisa Badarian promise that the upcoming MVP Fight Night event will be one of the biggest cards in the promotion’s history.
“The addition of Chris Avila vs. Ariel ‘Golden Hulk’ Perez further elevates an already stacked MVP Fight Night card,” Paul and Badarian said in a joint statement. “Both fighters have delivered on the MVP stage before, and now face off in what promises to be a statement bout—with Avila representing the notoriety of Team Diaz, and Perez looking to rise to the occasion in front of his home state. With Team Diaz in the building, the energy in Orlando will be on another level. Saturday, August 23 marks MVP’s biggest non-Jake and Amanda event to date, featuring four WBA world and interim world title bouts, a WBA eliminator, and much more—all live globally on DAZN as part of our first MVP back-2-back weekend.”
MVP will host a Most Valuable Prospects event on the night before in the same venue.
