"Dana really sacrificed him" - Fans pick Khamzat Chimaev over Nate Diaz for the win at UFC 279 after reports of a verbal agreement emerge
The MMA community has been set abuzz by the revelation that Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz have verbally agreed to a five-round welterweight bout that'll take place at UFC 279 on September 10. Many are siding with freestyle wrestling wizard Chimaev to dominantly defeat Diaz as the latter has historically struggled against elite wrestlers.
MMA legend Nate Diaz has just one fight left on his UFC contract. The Stockton native last competed in June 2021. He has since accused the UFC of intentionally delaying his last fight and holding him hostage.
Several fans have suggested that the UFC intends to damage Diaz’s brand value on his way out of the organization. These accusations carry weight as Diaz finds himself matched up against Khamzat - a stylistic nightmare. Some fans tweeted in response to the news regarding the Diaz-Chimaev bout.
A fan noted:
“There[They're] tryna kill Nate before he leaves the UFC.”
One Twitter user wrote:
“Nate Diaz finally got a death date!”
Meanwhile, a fan suggested that Khamzat Chimaev will thoroughly out-grapple and ragdoll Diaz, akin to how Rory Macdonald beat Diaz many years ago.
Khamzat vs. Nate. UFC 279 on Sept. 10 at T-Mobile Arena. Main event. Five rounds. Verbally agreed, per UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell. It is the final fight on Nate Diaz’s current UFC contract. https://t.co/p7lrcoroH0
@bokamotoESPN @KChimaev @NateDiaz209 There tryna kill Nate before he leaves the UFC 😂😂
@Skip2MyJays @bokamotoESPN @KChimaev @NateDiaz209 Nate Diaz finally got a death date! 🥳
@bokamotoESPN @KChimaev @NateDiaz209 They did Nate so dirty
@bokamotoESPN @KChimaev @NateDiaz209 How Khamzat vs Nate will play out https://t.co/0cdkJVHx26
Furthermore, a Twitter user posted a Photoshopped image of UFC president Dana White suggesting that Nate should get into a coffin, while Khamzat Chimaev is shown sitting next to the coffin. Here's the post:
@bokamotoESPN @KChimaev @NateDiaz209 https://t.co/kuIvWE9ige
One fan tweeted:
“If I was Nate I’d walk in the cage tap on Khamzat's shoulder & walk out #DiazSalute”
Another fan chimed in:
“Khamzat will end up killing Nate in his last fight” “Oh my god Dana really sacrificed him. Wow.”
Moreover, one fan jibed at UFC president Dana White and tweeted:
Oh my god Dana really sacrificed him[Diaz]. wow
@bokamotoESPN @KChimaev @NateDiaz209 If I was Nate I’d walk in the cage tap on Khamzats shoulder & walk out #DiazSalute 🖕🏽🖕🏽
@bokamotoESPN @KChimaev @NateDiaz209 @JonaLawrance @Cpark1996 khamzat will end up killing Nate in his last fight
@bokamotoESPN Oh my god Dana really sacrificed him. Wow
Nate Diaz on the UFC’s intentions behind booking him to face Khamzat Chimaev
In a recent edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Nate Diaz alluded to the fact that the UFC has been trying to book a fight between him and Khamzat Chimaev over the past several months.
Diaz explained that the UFC has been hellbent on him fighting Chimaev because they want his star power to rub off on the younger fighter and turn ‘Borz’ into another star for the organization. Diaz said:
"The only one who turned down a fight is Khamzat, for one. So, that's the only fight they've offered. And why would they offer that fight? Because they want me to build another star like I've done in the past. Everybody I fight gets a title fight."
Watch Diaz discuss the topic at 14:10 in the video below: