The short answer...no.
UFC 279 is taking place on September 10th and it could very well be Nate Diaz's last time in a UFC octagon. Diaz has been talking a lot on Twitter about how ready he is to be done with the UFC and Dana White.
Apparently he is wanting to line up a fight with Jake Paul (a likely payday) or a move to Bellator or PFL. One would assume that the 37 year old will become a celebrity boxer rather than exploring MMA free agency. Afterall, there is more money to be made in the ring.
With Diaz stirring the pot, Dana White moved with a sense of urgency to make a fight. After rejecting multiple opponents he finally settled on fighting up-and-coming superstar Khamzat 'Borz' Chimaev. Chimaev is arguably the hungriest prospect, not only in the welterweight division, but in the promotion as a whole.
After watching Leon Edwards dominate Diaz in their last fight (despite the 5th round wobble). Compared to Leon Edwards Khamzat is enormous.
After watching Khamzat battle it out with Gilbert Burns for 3 rounds, I expect Khamzat to take care of Diaz handily. He is huge for 170 and is a dominant wrestler.
Nate Diaz has one of the best career chins in MMA but if he is not careful Khamzat could get him out of there quick. As of late we have seen some of the best chins in the game fall from age, we could see the same with Diaz on September 10th. I do not think the question is if Khamzat wins, but when and how.
Diaz is 'notorious' for underdog wins, but I do not see a possible avenue for victory in this matchup.
The real question after this fight: does Khamzat deserve a title shot at 170 if Usman retains?
Will this be Diaz last fight in the UFC?
Written by Joe Gee
Top comments (2)
It's gonna be like a bear grabbing a human and taking them for a rough ride through the forest.
I just think Khamzat grabs Nate and wrestles him around plenty, he did less of that in his last fight and was properly challenged imo
I shouldn't laugh, the cover photo (which I really like) and then this:
Got me.. I sorta hope he'll put up a good fight, but I think it might be a bit like the bear attack in revenant. Fingers crossed Nate gets outta this okay and into some good business elsewhere. He has stated he might come back into the UFC, but not sure when and it will be on his terms.
Let's not forget Nate Diaz is a huge needle mover and if he wins his numbers will go through the roof on his way out, not a great move by the UFC IMO.
I also think Conor v Nate 3 will take place outside of the UFC, no evidence to support that, just a hunch 😵💫