Nate Diaz is taking a massive gamble on himself by fighting out his UFC contract against Khamzat Chimaev, and MMA journalist Ariel Helwani believes this is a gamble that should pay off if he wins.
After months of negotiating and trying to figure out exactly how he would fight out his UFC contract, it was revealed the Diaz would be facing Chimaev in the main event of UFC 279, a fight in which several people are writing him off.
Some would say this is not the most ideal fight for him, but he is clearly interested in parting ways with the UFC, with rumors suggesting he is looking to box Jake Paul after his contract expires.
Helwani Wants To Get Diaz Paid
The naysayers for Nate Diaz vs Khamzat Chimaev believe it is a serious mismatch, and that the UFC is causing the Stockton native to lose stock on his way out of the promotion.
That said, we have seen time and again that anything is possible in MMA, especially when a Diaz brother is involved, so it is not unreasonable to think that the 37-year-old could get it done on September 10th.
This was a scenario that leading MMA journalist Ariel Helwani posited, while speaking with Chael Sonnen. He said that given the history that Diaz has with the new welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, if he can beat Chimaev at UFC 280, the UFC should pay him a ton of money to stay and offer him the next title shot.
“What if Chael, on September 10th, Las Vegas, Nevada, ol’ Nathan Diaz does it one more time? What if he actually pulls it off, shocks the world?” Helwani said. “If I’m Dana White and the brass, no joke, I walk to the back, I say ‘Alright, that was your last fight, well played. You bet on yourself, you rolled the dice. We tried to screw you, you screwed us. Perfect. Here’s $20 million, forget Jake Paul. Title fight. England. You vs Leon 2.’”
Do you think Nate Diaz will beat Khamzat Chimaev?