Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev will headline UFC 279 from Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, September 10th.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke the news earlier this week, stating that Diaz and Chimaev have verbally agreed, with both fighter’s agents, and UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, confirming the report.
As per Okamoto via Diaz’s management, this is a fight that Diaz has been asking for since April, while Chimaev’s camp made a statement through his representatives which was translated from Swedish stating “I am going to handle Nate Diaz’s funeral with the UFC.”
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. pic.twitter.com/p7lrcoroH0
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 19, 2022
Nate Diaz to Face Khamzat Chimaev in Last Fight on his UFC Contract
Diaz has been with the UFC since 2007 and was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 5. It is reported that this bout with Chimaev is the last fight on Diaz’s contract, and may in fact be the last fight for Diaz in the UFC entirely.
Diaz has only fought three times in the last six years. He returned from a three-year hiatus in 2019 with a dominant win over Anthony Pettis, which lined him up perfectly for a high-profile main event bout with Jorge Masvidal at Madison Square Garden later that year. Diaz would lose to Masvidal by way of a doctor stoppage due to an eye cut after just three rounds.
Diaz would not return to the UFC octagon until 2021. He was expected to face Leon Edwards in May of last year but was moved to June due to Diaz sustaining a minor injury. The two eventually met at UFC 263 in a five-round bout that Edwards won by decision.
What Are the Chances of Nate Diaz Defeating Khamzat Chimaev?
Based on the current betting odds, Nate Diaz has just a 5% chance of defeating Khmazat Chimaev at UFC 279 in September. In his most recent bout against Leon Edwards, Diaz was being dominated for the vast majority of the bout. However, Diaz hurt Edwards badly with a stiff combination late in the fifth round, with many observers noting that Diaz could have taken advantage of Edwards and won the fight had he chosen to close in on his opponent, rather than taunting him.
Khamzat Chimaev went the distance against former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 back in April, and while the Swedish MMA phenom pulled off the victory, he did so while facing adversity. For the first time in his UFC career, Chimaev took significant damage and was hurt numerous times during the fight.
While Chimaev faced a strong challenge that ultimately overcame against Burns, it is known that Nate Diaz is far past his prime, which is why most bookmakers are giving Diaz little to no chance of pulling off what would be one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history, should he manage to defeat Chimaev at UFC 279 in September.
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