Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz
Fans on Twitter react to Nate Diaz claiming that he retired Khamzat Chimaev from the welterweight division
Khamzat Chimaev’s weight miss at UFC 279 forced the UFC to revamp the card. Chimaev faced Kevin Holland in the co-main event, after his main event spot was offered to MMA veteran Tony Ferguson against Nate Diaz. Chimaev, who missed weight by whopping 7.5 pounds looked rather unapologetic on the scale, during weigh-ins, and during post-fight media interviews. Stockton native Nate Diaz, who is currently testing the free agency waters has been adamant in his claim that Chimaev crumbled under pressure.
” Khabib’s b*** a** was afraid of him just like this b*** a** motherf**** was afraid of me, “said Diaz as he took shots at the former Lightweight Champ and his now-former opponent. “Yesterday we linked his b a** in the back here and now he don’t know how to make weight”, Diaz said during the UFC 279 official weigh-ins.
Chimaev dominated Kevin Holland, and rag dolled him in his path to victory. The fight did not see the second round as Chimaev rag-dolled his opponent and finished the fight with a D’Arce Choke. Holland (23-8, 1 NC) snapped his two-fight win streak with this loss.
The Chechen claimed that he’s glad that the Diaz fight fell through, because he would’ve probably gone to jail for his dominance:
“If I fight him, I would kill him. I would be in jail, so maybe I have to be happy. Did you see that fight? How they kick and punch? How they wrestle and grapple? I’m the young guy, I’m a killer. I understand these guys are from USA and the crowd like them, but make this fight in my country. You will never find a guy who likes Diaz there. Nobody is going to say Diaz’s name there, if they do, we will kill them.”
Since then, MMA fans and experts have commented on Chimaev’s issue with making weight. Several of them have suggested a move to middleweight, which was confirmed by his head coach Andreas Michael.
“He’s a big boy, and he needs a little time. But he can make weight, of course. He just needs a little more time. We’re going to go up and down. We’re going middleweight, welterweight, get ranked in both divisions and then we take both belts.”
Former UFC double champion and UFC commentator Daniel Cormier was excited by the prospect of the potential move:
“You know what’s crazy is [Chimaev’s] coach Andreas Michael said yesterday the next one will be at middleweight because he loves everything about the process but the weight cut he just came flat out and said it.”
Khamzat Chimaev has finally come out and confirmed his move to middleweight next. This ignited a reaction from Nate Diaz who claims that he is the one to retire the Chechen from the division:
“Duh I retired you from 170 dumb f**k”
MMA fans on Twitter reacted to the response by Diaz by claiming that he was lucky he did not have to fight Chimaev. While Diaz is beloved by fans, this reaction has forced fans to call him delusional.
UFC president Dana White sounded off on the original bout saying that it was a bad idea:
“After you watch the fight, you realize Khamzat vs. Nate Diaz would have been f*cking – that wouldn’t have been good,” White said on the Action Junkeez podcast “Khamzat, I know the fans got pissed at him for not making weight and everything else, but Jesus f*cking Christ. What he went out and did to Kevin Holland – did you see Kevin Holland post the picture the other day that his eyes were all red from the f*cking choke? I mean, holy sh*t.”
One fan wrote:
“The supposed gangster, anytime, anywhere diaz didn’t want khamzat cause he was 8 lbs over ? Lol I guess diaz never had a fight with someone heavier than him in Stockton lol dude was scared of khamzat. If he was gangster he should have taken the fight.”
@EarlBones_ wrote:
“Thank god i dont have to deal with this joke in the UFC anymore. We get it, youre a gangster that slaps people, everyones terrified.”
Another fan wrote:
“Love Nate. But that fight was going to go one way. No shame in it. Nate would have shown up. But that fight (Khamzat) was not the last look I wanted with Nate. He’s been a warrior. Taking on someone whose clearly a weight class above just seemed “off”.”
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