As absurd as the idea might have seemed a month ago, a fight pitting Nate Diaz vs Khamzat Chimaev is something UFC President Dana White is “100%” open to making happen.
Chimaev (10-0) was a major story following UFC 267 on Saturday afternoon. The 27-year-old made his return after a year away from the sport and did so in dominant fashion. The Chechen only needed a couple of minutes to ground, maul, and choke out Li Jingliang in Abu Dhabi. It was a completely controlling performance where “Borz” had no punches landed on him throughout the fight.
Fans and media were not the only ones impressed on “Fight Island.” In a new interview with TMZ Sports, White was asked if this is the best four-fight start of any UFC talent ever. The UFC boss confirmed it was, in his opinion, while also noting the serious level of popularity Chimaev has already garnered after only four fights in the promotion.
Nate Diaz vs Khamzat Chimaev a fight Dana White is ‘100%’ interested in
“This guy is like nothing anybody’s ever seen. When you think about it, he’s got more UFC wins than he’s been hit inside the Octagon. That’s insane,” White said. “And the other night, our social team filmed his walkout on Instagram Live. It broke the record. It’s the biggest Instagram Live we’ve ever done.”
Following his win, Chimaev called for a fight next with the uber-popular Diaz. Telling media during his post-fight press conference, “Hey Diaz, let’s go, brother. Let’s go. You gonna get some smoke, bro. Let’s see who is the real gangster.”
With the idea of Diaz vs Chimaev making the rounds in MMA circles, White was asked about that possible booking. He told the outlet he was “100%” down to make that fight, and putting it together was now in the very early stages.
“We’re gonna talk to Nate about it,” he said.
Does Diaz prefer a bout with Tony Ferguson in his UFC contract swan song?
Diaz, 36, is on the last fight of his current UFC contract. Deciding on his next opponent has been a topic of much discussion and Twitter posts over the last few months. Top-five welterweights in Gilbert Burns and Vincente Luque have called for fights with the Stockton native. Two weeks ago, Diaz suggested in a tweet he was open to a fight with Luque, but that the Brazilian was the hold-up to contracts being finalized.
The 20-13 fighter has also publicly proposed a matchup with former UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson (25-6). A notion that “El Cucuy” seems very much interested in after a Monday night tweet response where he mentioned competing at 170-pounds and tagged Diaz and White.
All indications point to Diaz finishing out his current deal and then testing his value on the open market. In a recent post to his personal YouTube page, former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen suggested a boxing bout with social media influencer turned pugilist Jake Paul could be a fight both men would angle for once Diaz were free to compete wherever he wanted.
Diaz is on a two-fight losing streak, following a technical knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal two years ago, and a five-round unanimous decision defeat to Leon Edwards in June.
Join the discussion on this topic…