Former two-time Strikeforce lightweight champion and longtime teammate of Nate Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, lost some respect for Khamzat Chimaev after UFC 279.
Chimaev was scheduled to face Diaz in the fight card’s main event but missed weight by a whopping 7.5 pounds on weigh-in day. Not only did Chimaev miss weight, he smiled on the scales and then flipped off those in attendance.
“Of course we were surprised. Just couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it he didn’t make weight. What an opportunity missed for this man to fight Nate Diaz, the biggest draw in MMA right now. And then when he stepped onto the scale, you know, not even sucked up, not even trying, not even stumbling to the scale,” Melendez said during an appearance on Submission Radio.
“And every fighter knows that you gotta give it your best. If you walk to that scale, you have to try, you have to be out there almost running with your sweatsuit on if you’re over, and jumping off and running some more. But this guy stepped on the scale 8 pounds over, looked fresh as hell, looked like he just had a steak dinner, and then he smirks and laughs at it. And there’s one thing about being a villain in the sport, man, but this guy was just… it just rubbed everyone the wrong way, and a lot of respect loss for him in that aspect,” said Melendez.
Chimaev is undefeated and ranked third in the UFC’s welterweight division. He’s on a fast track to becoming a champion and has dominated his way there, but Melendez believes that the pressure got to “Borz.” He also floated the idea that Chimaev may have been intimated facing Diaz.
“I think Khamzat was slightly intimidated and I think put too much pressure on himself,” Melendez said. “I think he broke a little mentally showing up eight pounds over. You know, knowing that if he’s in one of those championship rounds, you know, he may fade. So, I think Nate was ready for whatever. But to get back to it all, I think he was planning on taking him into deep waters and drowning him.”
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During the UFC 279 Post-fight Press Conference, Chimaev said the he would have ‘killed’ Diaz had the two fought as planned and might have went to jail for it.
“I didn’t hear those comments, but right now, his credibility, everyone’s just kind of like, yeah right, yeah right. Well then why didn’t you make weight and show everybody? It’s just what everyone’s thinking. I think we’re all thinking the same thing. Well then why didn’t you show us? Why didn’t you make weight and show us then,” Melendez questioned.
“He lost his opportunity and that’s it, man. And that’s how the team looks at it. You didn’t make weight, that’s a win for Nate. He beats Tony Ferguson and he kind of beats the UFC, man. He went 3-0 that night.”