"He'll be fine" - Demetrious Johnson explains why Nate Diaz can fight Jake Paul for big payday even if he loses to Khamzat Chimaev

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L-R: Demetrious Johnson, Nate Diaz, Jake Paul and Khamzat Chimaev [Image credits- via Instagram @mighty and Getty]

Demetrious Johnson is optimistic about Stockton slapper Nate Diaz, who will appear in his final UFC fight against the seemingly unstoppable Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279.

Despite fans crying foul on account of Diaz, claiming that he is being thrown off to the wolves quite literally in order to popularize 'Borz', Johnson believes otherwise.

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In his most recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, ‘Mighty Mouse’ was asked if he, too, felt that the Stockton native was being handed a rotten send-off. Johnson replied:

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“I think he’ll be fine, if he goes out there in shape…I mean it’s a tough fight, right? Because I remember what Rory did to him, a lot of people like to forget. But the thing I love about Nate is he doesn’t give a damn right. I mean Nate Diaz loses this fight and goes, ‘I won that fight’ and everyone’s like ‘yeah you won that fight Nate’.”

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Johnson further added:

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“So at the end of the day it’s all based on perception and your mindset right, you can go out there and lose that fight and let that loss really affect your day-to-day life. Or you can go out there and if you lose you can be like, ‘Hey I lost, it is what it is’, go back home, fix things and get back there for another fight.”

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Finally, Demetrious Johnson said that even if Diaz loses the fight against Chimaev, he will still be able to go and fight Jake Paul. He might make a lot more money fighting Paul than he did in his entire career in the UFC.

Check out Demetrious Johnson's complete interview below:

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Demetrious Johnson called “living legend” by opponent Adriano Moraes ahead of their upcoming fight

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At "ONE on Prime Video 1" the legendary ‘Mighty Mouse’ will be seeking redemption against flyweight champion Adriano Moraes. Despite their rivalry, ‘Mikinho’ stepped away from the current trend of trash talking between fighters that we are so accustomed to.

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The Brazilian fighter instead surprised everyone during an interview with ONE Championship with his reply when asked about the number one flyweight contender, he said:

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“Demetrious Johnson is a great athlete and a great example in and out of the cage. What he has already done and continues to do for MMA is something great.”

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Moraes didn’t stop there, and he went on to say:

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"He's definitely one of the living legends of our sport.”

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This display of respect and admiration between the two fighters is a breath of fresh air in today's "insult each other to make money" scenario.

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Catch Moraes's interview below:

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