"There in lies the problem with Nate Diaz"- Chael Sonnen explained the "secret" about Nate Diaz after a sparring session; talks about how it could change the Chimaev fight
Chael Sonnen details observations from his past sparring experiences with Nate Diaz. Sonnen pointed out one ''secret'' in particular from the sparring session that could potentially change the Khamzat Chimaev fight.
Two of the most prominent names in the game today, Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev, will lock horns in the main event of UFC 279 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will mark the end of Diaz's current contract with the UFC, and the Stockton native is set to enter free agency.
Former UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen previewed the UFC 279 main event and gave insights from his sparring sessions with Nate Diaz. Sonnen claimed that contrary to belief, Diaz is a tough fighter to take down:
"He's [Nate Diaz] very hard to take down. To the point, it was very frustrating. I asked Nate, ''How come you're so hard to take down?'' We were wearing boxing gloves. He said I can't work as well on the ground with boxing gloves. It's hard for me to set-up some of my groundwork and jiu-jitsu, so I stayed on the feet.''
Sonnen further claimed that while Diaz has the ability to stop takedowns, he doesn't mind giving up the position and working off his back:
''He believes he does well in a fight when he has the small gloves on and when he's on his back. Nate is very difficult to take down.''
Chael Sonnen believes that Diaz's experience with working from the bottom will prove to be the deciding factor in his fight against Khamzat Chimaev.
Watch the video below:
Nate Diaz's coach Cesar Gracie reveals path to victory against Khamzat Chimaev
Nate Diaz's longtime coach Cesar Gracie is confident his pupil can pull off an upset against Khamzat Chimaev.
The undefeated Chechen is a heavy favorite to win this fight, owing to his superior wrestling. Gracie believes that Diaz, a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has clear paths to victory himself.
Speaking to Submission Radio, he drew observations from Chimaev's fight against Gilbert Burns and expounded on his student's chances in the fight, saying:
“I think Nate has to bring him into deep water. Obviously, gotta be in shape to do that. Nate’s always in shape. Standing up, I give the edge to Nate. On the ground, I think Nate’s a better grappler. But you’re fighting a younger guy that’s strong. It’s definitely a tough fight, but there’s ways to win this fight.”
Watch Cesar Gracie's appearance on Submission Radio below: