Ronda Rousey Fumbles Interview After Alleging Nate Diaz Got Her High

Ronda Rousey’s comeback tour had been rolling perfectly ever since she announced her MMA return against Gina Carano, but it seems sharing a green room for a press event with Nate Diaz might have come with some unintended consequences. The former UFC champion recently found herself in an awkward, unintentionally funny moment during a media session, one that quickly made its way across social media.

The moment came after her press conference while she was talking to reporters. Rousey seemed to lose her train of thought mid-question and burst out laughing.

“F—! F—! That’s going so… Oh man, I hope that isn’t the news for today,” she remarked. “I’m gonna be completely honest with you. I shared a green room with Nate (Diaz), and I forgot I was gonna come and do this. So please take it easy on me. I had no idea what I was doing. What was the question?”

Then, as she tried to take a sip from her bottle, she realized the cap was still on and immediately burst out laughing again.

The Happy Punch clip then showed Nate Diaz, making his way to the press conference, wreathed in a cloud of smoke, yelling out for someone by the name of Chris, while holding a j–nt in his hand. The connection becomes apparent when you put two and two together. Now, if you know Diaz, this shouldn’t come as a shock, as Nate and his brother Nick have both built a reputation over the years around the use of cannab-s.

Ronda Rousey said Nate Diaz got her high after their press conference

She tried to drink a capped water bottle

(via @TheMacLife) pic.twitter.com/CwvDRdb3dt

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 16, 2026

The Stockton native even once lit up during an open workout ahead of UFC 241 and has consistently spoken about how it helps him with recovery and awareness in training.

“For one, it helps your lungs because they got to be in shape to be smoking w–d all day,” Diaz said in an interview with Demetrious Johnson. “For two, I think it keeps me aware and conscious of, like, let’s say I’m out of shape, right? And then I go and do five, five-minute rounds of grappling with you. If I go in there and go hard [as if] I’m in shape, and I’m not in shape, I think I’m going to be—if I’m smoking w–d especially—I’m going to be conscious of how hard I should be going.”

It’s become a major part of his persona at this point. But seeing that energy spill into a live media setting, especially involving someone like Ronda Rousey, is different.

‘Rowdy’ hasn’t fought since 2016, and this is supposed to be a serious comeback story, a legacy moment. Instead, fans were watching her try to drink from a closed bottle while admitting she forgot she had an interview because she was hanging out backstage with Nate Diaz.

And honestly? That contrast is what makes it work. Because while some will question the optics, others will see something else: a rare, unscripted moment in a controlled setting where a fighter is caught off guard and owns it in real time. But the press conference did deliver more than just viral moments as Nate Diaz revealed why he chose to take on Mike Perry on May 16.

Nate Diaz claims “no names” available for him to fight other than Mike Perry

For Diaz, this isn’t about nostalgia or just staying active. It’s about availability, and more importantly, relevance in a fight market that doesn’t have many options left for someone at his level. He’s 21-13 in MMA, hasn’t fought in the sport since 2022, and yet still carries the kind of name value that forces every matchup to make sense commercially. That’s where Perry comes in.

“There is no names, that’s the problem. If there was somebody to box, I’d be boxing them,” the former UFC star told MMA Junkie and other media outlets present. “I think Mike Perry was the biggest name outside the UFC I could do. I want to box the best and fight the best of the best in MMA. That’s why I got Perry, and that’s what I’m looking to do.”

Perry has built a reputation outside the UFC, especially with his BKFC run, and brings a similar chaos-first style that fits Diaz perfectly. What’s interesting is how Diaz handled the bigger conversation happening around him. With fighters like Ronda Rousey openly criticizing UFC pay structures and the system, the Stockton legend didn’t jump in.

He backed the current criticism from others but made it clear he’s not getting involved, saying he already went through that phase alone. He emphasized a self-reliant mindset, explaining that no one supported him back then, so now it’s about focusing on himself, handling his business, making his money, and not depending on others to fight those battles.

So, for Ronda Rousey, the moment might have looked like a slip, but it also showed something fans rarely see from her. At the same time, Nate Diaz has stayed exactly who he’s always been. Whether it’s lighting up at open workouts or casually drifting through a media day, his persona hasn’t changed. And that consistency is part of why he still draws attention even after years away from MMA competition.

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