Watch: Daniel Cormier lifts Darren Till to show Khamzat Chimaev how 'Borz' could perfect his single-leg takedowns
Khamzat Chimaev is set to take on Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279 on September 10.
While this could be Diaz's last fight with the UFC, many believe that he will give Chimaev a run for his money. The 15-year UFC veteran believes the promotion is using him to make a star out of his opponent. Leading up to the fight, 'Borz' received some pointers from former double champ and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier.
Yes, you read that right.
@KChimaev & @NateDiaz209 are set for your #UFC279 main event 🔥
[ #UFC279 | Sep 10 | @TMobileArena ] https://t.co/hdvIJQShyL
Khamzat Chimaev recently sat down with 'DC' to discuss the UFC 279 fight amongst other topics. Prior to the interview, he also received some training advice from the UFC legend, who used his good friend and training partner, Darren Till, to demonstrate how he can improve his single-leg takedowns.
Watch Daniel Cormier teach Khamzat Chimaev at the 1:37 mark below:
While Khamzat Chimaev is undefeated in his mixed martial arts career, every fighter should be looking to learn and improve, particularly from experienced fighters like Daniel Cormier.
The moves that he learned from Cormier most likely won't be useful in his upcoming fight against Nate Diaz since the Stockton native is a Brazilian jui-jitsu black belt. However, if he practices them, they could come in handy down the line. If 'Borz' wins his fight with Diaz, he will most likely challenge for the welterweight belt following the Kamaru Usman-Leon Edwards trilogy.
Daniel Cormier previously called out Khamzat Chimaev and Darren Till's friendship
Khamzat Chimaev and Darren Till have developed a close friendship outside of the octagon. Daniel Cormier recently referred to that friendship as a mistake, as he told Damon Martin of MMA Fighting:
"I love the whole buddy-buddy thing with Darren Till but I think it’s a mistake. I think he should continue to be a mystery to people. I think he should spend as little time in front of the public and showing who he is, pulling the curtain back. I would pull the curtain back as little as I could if I’m Khamzat, just because the mystery is good for him."
Chimaev responded to these remarks on Cormier's show, The DC Check In, stating:
"Brother, you're saying what is that s**t? This is not s**t, it's brother's relationship. What you and Khabib doing, that s**t brother. You and Khabib doing same s**t in the gym. What you can say about that? You need the friends as well brother, you can't be alone. You need somebody to defend your back."
Despite his remarks on their friendship, Cormier has always had high praise for the Chechen. In 2020, he stated that he believes 'Borz' will become a double champ at welterweight and middleweight and defend both belts.
Daniel Cormier has extremely high expectations for Khamzat Chimaev 🏆🏆 (via @dc_mma) https://t.co/RAXvFqluzk