"He's lost 3 of his last 4" - Dana White rubbishes the narrative of 'throwing Nate Diaz to the wolves' by offering him Khamzat Chimaev
Dana White doesn't think the UFC is 'throwing Nate Diaz to the wolves' by offering him Khamzat Chimaev as the last fight on his current contract. According to White, Diaz is already 1-3 in his last four fights and a potential loss to Chimaev wouldn't devalue the Stockton native in any manner.
During an appearance on the Pardon My Take broadcast, White said that the UFC is into the practice of matching up the best guys against the best guys in every weight class. He said he wouldn't go looking for a simpler matchup for Diaz because Chimaev is the right opponent for him.
White also stressed that although he has lost three out of his last four fights, Diaz has fought some of the best fighters in the division. Diaz also has way more experience compared to Chimaev, who has just four fights inside the octagon under his belt and is yet to fight a top-10 ranked contender.
"Robbie was telling me the fans were saying 'you're throwing him to the wolves.' He's lost three of his last four and they said that since he's only got one fight left on his contract we're trying to throw him to the wolves or whatever. He's lost three of his last four. So what are you saying if he loses this one against Khamzat Chimaev, this would be the one that would devalue him? Should I look for a fight that's...it's not what we do. We put the best against the best and when you look at a guy like Nate Diaz and you say he lost three of his last four, he lost against bad motherf****rs," White said.
Catch Dana White's full interview on the podcast below:
While the UFC wants to book the matchup, Diaz seemingly rejected the idea in a video clip he shared on Twitter.
This is Nate Diaz’s reaction to Dana White wanting him to fight Khamzat Chimaev. https://t.co/ipVeHRKkU2
Will Nate Diaz extend his UFC contract?
It is rumored that Nate Diaz is considering a crossover to boxing to fight Jake Paul in what would be a very lucrative payday for the southpaw. Diaz has remained open to the idea of fighting 'The Problem Child' and it could make sense for him at this stage of his career, with one fight remaining in his contract.
For that to happen, however, Diaz must first get his current UFC contract out of the way since White isn't likely to work with Jake Paul or Showtime anytime soon. It is unknown whether the UFC and Diaz have reached an agreement regarding his future.
White claims it's Nate Diaz who needs to decide if he wants to extend his contract or 'look at other options'.
"I mean that is a decision he needs to make. Listen, for a lot of these guys… There’s no secret about it. If you believe that you are one of the best in the world and if you believe that you can win a world title here, or hang with the top five. Then this is where you should be. The minute you start doubting that is the case, you’ve got to start looking at other options.” White said to Aaron Bronsteter.
Dana White on Nate Diaz's future beyond his next bout: "If you believe that you are one of the best in the world and you believe that you can win a world title here or hang with the top-5, then this is where you should be."
Full interview: tsn.ca/ufc/video/dana… https://t.co/J66up5VGQV