"They fight a lot and they fight for very cheap" - Dominick Cruz unveils UFC's real intention behind booking Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Dominick Cruz, Nate Diaz, and Khamzat Chimaev (left to right) [Images via Getty]

Dominick Cruz believes that the UFC will use Nate Diaz to propel Khamzat Chimaev to superstardom in the promotion. Diaz has just one fight remaining on his current contract with the promotion and isn't willing to extend the same. The Stockton native has been booked to fight 'Borz' at UFC 279 on September 10.

Khamzat Chimaev is set to fight Nate Diaz on Sept. 10 at UFC 279 🍿 https://t.co/MuVGFQjsqS

According to Cruz, the promotion booked this fight because it wants to popularize Chimaev so that he can replace a star like Diaz going forward. The former bantamweight champion explained that if 'Borz' manages to put Diaz away convincingly when they fight, he will gain a lot of fans, including some of Diaz's.

Cruz feels that the UFC wants to push Chimaev because he fights frequently and his increasing popularity will translate to good revenue for the promotion down the line. During a recent interaction with The Schmo, he said:

"How big is Diaz's following? It's huge, he's got a huge following so you want to put him against a guy that doesn't have a very big following while Diaz is on the end of his contract. Again, it's about business for the UFC, so if you get Khamzat to beat Diaz then you kind of sort of get Diaz's following to Khamzat and he is going to be there, he's been active [and that's] what the UFC wants. They like active fighters, guys that are fighting two, three, four times a year for cheap amounts of money. Khamzat's that and Chito [Vera], they are that, they fight a lot and they fight for very cheap and so that's why they make these matchups."

Watch Cruz's full interview with The Schmo below:

Khamzat Chimaev expected to bid a gruelling farewell to Nate Diaz at UFC 279

Khamzat Chimaev is the overwhelming favorite to beat Nate Diaz at UFC 279. The Chechen-born Swede is yet to lose a fight inside the octagon, while Diaz is 1-3 in his last four fights in the UFC.

While 'Borz' is expected to comfortably beat the 37-year-old, what will be interesting to see is if he can finish the Stockton native, who is known for his resilience.

According to Chimaev's teammate Alexander Gustafsson, Nate Diaz will get brutally roughed up inside the octagon when he fights 'Borz'. During a recent press conference ahead of UFC London, Gustafsson said:

"He's gonna do what he is doing all the time. Khamzat. He's gonna go in there and beat him up. He is ready. You put him in front of him, he's gonna beat him up."

Chimaev has a plan in mind against Diaz at #UFC279 👀 https://t.co/T6976nOibS