"That is a rumor that just won't go away" - Chael Sonnen discusses possibility of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz matchup
On his latest episode of Beyond The Fight, Chael Sonnen spoke to what may be next in store for Nate Diaz. Sonnen seems to possess knowledge that the younger Diaz brother is currently in preparation for a bout. Not only may Diaz allegedly be preparing for an opponent, but 'The Bad Guy' used the process of elimination to deduce that his opponent might just be Khamzat Chimaev. Here's how Sonnen arrived at his conclusion:
"Belal off the board, which means Chimaev's expected opponent [is] no longer. Sean Brady, off the board, there was a rumour that he and Rakhmonov were trying to fight eachother... Rakhmonov and Chimaev are simply too early in their career and the promoters aren't going to do it... Gilbert Burns a very likely opponent for Nate, he appears busy, in fact he appears busy with Jorge Masvidal. Colby Covington the number one contender, good fight for any one of them is silent right now... That [Chimaev vs. Diaz] is a rumour that just won't go away."
'The Bad Guy' is picking apart the welterweight division and bringing up good reasons as to why certain names might just be off the board. Although the rumored Chimaev vs. Diaz bout was prominent for a while, that fight would make less sense now. In his last bout, Chimaev defeated a former title challenger and top contender in Gilbert Burns, which catapulted him into the No.3 spot in the division. If Chimaev's goal is to face current champion Kamaru Usman, then fighting the unranked Nate Diaz would seem like a step backwards. Although the rumored fight between the two is enticing, it would appear that ship has already sailed.
You can watch the full episode of Beyond The Fight Below:
Chael Sonnen says that "Nate Diaz has accepted a fight"
Chael Sonnen seems to have inside knowledge that Nate Diaz will fight for the last time in the octagon to finish out his contract with the UFC. This was not always a guarantee, with Dana White saying fairly recently that his best option would be to "probably go on and fight Jake Paul."
Dana White finally signing off on a Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz fight? 👀 https://t.co/RIBDQYgRSo
However, Chael Sonnen seems to know that Diaz has something cooking and went as far as to reiterate this sentiment twice, stating:
"Here's what I can tell you, Nate Diaz has accepted a fight, has a fight, and is in preparation for the fight. I can just tell you that. Just it's too small of a community... Nate Diaz has something going. That I can tell you. That's not a rumour. Nate Diaz has accepted a fight. Nate Diaz has began preparation for that fight."
Sonnen making these remarks twice makes it seem like something for is truly happening for Diaz.