Nate Diaz seemingly agrees to fight Khamzat Chimaev if 'Borz' can beat Kamaru Usman
Nate Diaz appears to be finally open to fighting Khamzat Chimaev on one condition. 'Borz' would have to defeat UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman first, according to the Stockton native.
Moments after Usman's fourth successful title defense in the main event of UFC 268, Diaz put forth a fun matchmaking idea. On Twitter, Diaz, who has only one fight remaining in his current UFC deal, wrote:
If chamiv can beat usman
Maybe I can give shot 👊🏼
In theory, a Usman-Chimaev matchup would be a tremendous fight to make at the top of the division. However, it isn't realistic, as Chimaev only has a single win against ranked UFC welterweights. Not only that, Leon Edwards is all but guaranteed a title shot if he beats Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269 in December.
Chimaev triumphantly returned to action at UFC 267 last month after 13 months on the sidelines. Diaz's name was being thrown around as a possible next opponent for Chimaev, who decimated Li Jingliang in his return fight.
It didn't take long before Diaz publicized his interest level for a potential clash against Chimaev. On his Instagram stories, Diaz used a hilarious clip of NBA star Russell Westbrook to shoot the idea down.
This is Nate Diaz’s reaction to Dana White wanting him to fight Khamzat Chimaev. https://t.co/ipVeHRKkU2
In the video, the Lakers guard said, “What? Bro, what are you talking about? Bro, I’m out, man.”
Dana White: Nate Diaz needs to fight Khamzat Chimaev if he wants to challenge Kamaru Usman
Nate Diaz recently criticized Usman for opting to run it back with Colby Covington – a man he has already finished before. The Stockton-based fighter also hinted that he's targeting a bout against either Usman or Covington.
However, Dana White said Diaz won't be getting near the welterweight champ if he isn't willing to fight Khamzat Chimaev. In an interview with BT Sport, White said:
"[Chimaev] has got four fights. Nate Diaz has been here for years. Nate Diaz was just asking for an Usman fight – that would be feeding Nate Diaz to the wolves. Listen, Khamzat Chimaev looks incredible, but he’s never fought anybody inside the top 10. The last guy he fought was No. 11 and he’s never fought anybody in the top five. He’s never been in any of those kinds of fights yet. As incredible as he looks, let’s be realistic here and what he’s done in a short amount of time and how popular he’s become. But if you wanted to fight with Kamaru Usman, you shouldn’t be worried about Khamzat Chimaev."