"I don't really think that Khamzat is as good as they say" - Jorge Masvidal feels Nate Diaz could pull off a late rounds upset against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279
Jorge Masvidal thinks Nate Diaz can get it done against Khamzat Chimaev on September 10.
Speaking with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, Masvidal touched on several subjects, including Conor McGregor as his next opponent, possible clashes with Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards, and more.
In regards to the UFC 279 pay-per-view main event with Diaz and Chimaev, Masvidal said:
"They probably wanted to pair Diaz with somebody that stylistically is not the best... So they gave him like a boring a** wrestler who's probably just going to hug his legs and sniff his crotch. I think Khamzat probably wins but I can see Nate putting him away in round four or five. Because Khamzat doesn't have that gas tank, doesn't have that experience."
Masvidal continued:
"I think he gets too in the moment to where he's wasting energy doing stupid sh*t. Nate's gonna conserve all that energy and get in his face when it counts... That was supposed to be his coming out party [vs. Gilbert Burns] and it didn't go according to plan. A lot of people felt Gilbert won that fight... I don't really think that Khamzat is as good as they say."
Watch the interview below:
Chimaev is the No.3-ranked contender in the welterweight class. Meanwhile, Diaz is unranked at 170 pounds in the UFC.
Jorge Masvidal's place at welterweight
Jorge Masvidal is the No.8-ranked contender in the UFC's welterweight category right now. He has previous competitive history with Nate Diaz as he bested him in the UFC 244 main event in November 2019. The massive pay-per-view attraction saw Masvidal cement himself as the 'BMF' champion and that was his last recorded MMA win.
Watch Masivdal and Diaz's post-fight interviews at UFC 244:
The American Top Team product is looking to rebound from a three-fight losing skid. Jorge Masvidal lost in consecutive world title bids to Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 and UFC 261. He last lost to friend-turned-rival Colby Covington at UFC 272.
'Gamebred' is currently embroiled in legal issues stemming from a reported attack on Colby Covington in the days following their main event clash in March.
Watch footage of Masvidal allegedly ambushing Covington:
The path to a third world title bid would seem like a difficult one, but Masivdal still seems to be focused on that down the line.