"That would be the fight to make" - Josh Thomson rallies toward fan-favorite matchup for Nate Diaz
During a recent appearance on the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson declared his interest in seeing a Nate Diaz vs. Michael Chandler matchup.
In an outstanding performance that silenced the crowd at UFC 274, 'Iron' became the first man to knock Tony Ferguson out inside the octagon. After a rocky first round, the 36-year-old earned a vicious stoppage victory by perfectly executing a front kick.
Speaking with John McCarthy, fighter-turned-analyst Josh Thomson gave his take on why Michael Chandler and Nate Diaz would be the ideal next outing for both men, saying:
"I would love to see that fight... [Michael] Chandler has a really good chance of beating him. He can outwrestle him for five rounds, he can stand with him a little bit, he's gotta be very cautious with the stand-up as the fight goes on because Chandler does slow down... Nate's gonna just push the pace, stick at the jab in his face, he's gonna rock him, hurt him a little bit, so in a five round fight, it's a fun fight."
'Big' John McCarthy weighed in on the fantasy fight, claiming the Stockton-native wouldn't have much of a chance if he was to stand across the cage from 'Iron' Michael Chandler:
"That's gonna be a very difficult fight for Nate to win, in my opinion. I love Nate, but good wrestlers have always been his Kryptonite. And the fact that Chandler is a good wrester, Chandler is physically strong when Nate's not that strong of a guy. His submissions are good, but they're not gonna catch Chandler, especially as the fight goes on."
Watch the full video below:
What's next for Nate Diaz?
Aside from the aforementioned fan-favorite brawl between himself and Chandler, what could possibly be next for Nate Diaz as he approaches the end of his UFC contract?
Despite winning just once in his last four fights, the 37-year-old has caught the attention of lightweight title contender Dustin Poirier, and the two veterans have agreed to face one another over social media.
While Diaz has been angling for the Poirier fight for months, it seems the UFC are ready to either match the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with the dangerous Khamzat Chimaev, or perhaps set up a trilogy bout with Conor McGregor.