Nate Diaz could be making his last walk to the UFC’s Octagon this Saturday at UFC 279 when he met with rising star Khamzat Chimaev. Michael Bisping gave his take on the upcoming bout.
The scheduled bout came as a surprise to many within the community, with both men on different paths in their careers. It’s been no secret that Diaz has been criticizing the company at every given opportunity after not being granted a release from his current contract. With that being said, Saturday night will see the Stockton native fight out his contract, with his future in doubt.
Many believe the UFC has disrespected Diaz and undervalued his efforts during his time competing under the organization by feeding him to Chimaev in his last outing.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping gave his take on Saturday night’s main event and expressed his thoughts on the fight overall on his Youtube channel.
Michael Bisping Talks Diaz vs. Chimaev
“[Nate Diaz] has a never say die attitude. If you don’t finish him, he will continue to fight. He will continue to come after you.
“On the flip side, Khamzat Chimaev. I mean, this man is just a sensation. Came to the UFC, took it by storm. Knocking everyone out, submitting them very very quickly. Picking up Li Jingliang, he’s fighting Tony Ferguson by the way, this week. Picked him up, had a conversation with Dana White, slammed him down on the floor, then choked him out unconscious. That’s just like the cockiness and the ability of this man. It really is something to behold. It’s incredible.”
Although most have counted on Chimaev steamrolling Diaz at UFC 279 and believe the company is screwing over Diaz, Bisping doesn’t see it in such a way with the 37-year-old getting paid a healthy amount to fight anyone the UFC place across from him.
“This is the UFC. Nate Diaz gets paid a lot of money to fight and he’s a very capable fighter. But secondly, Diaz gets paid a tremendous amount of money. He complains all the time, but you never hear him complaining about how much he gets paid.”
Bisping dived into the bout itself, including the advantages that each man had leading into fight night, going as far as saying a five-round fight will work in the underdog’s favour. Diaz is known for being extremely durable and having an endless gas tank, while Chimaev showed glimpses of slowing down after a three-round war with Burns in his most recent outing.
UFC 279
“The real question is, is Nate Diaz going to win against Khamzat Chimaev? Khamzat’s the way bigger guy. He’s the stronger guy, and he’s more aggressive. He’s the better wrestler. He hits harder. He’s got the momentum. He’s on a roll and he’s absolutely goddamn out of his mind. It’s a five-round fight though. A five-round fight is the only way that Nate Diaz has any shot of being successful in this fight.
“He’s not as strong. He’s not as explosive. He can’t compete. He doesn’t necessarily have the one-punch knockout power either. Khamzat clearly does. Knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in 17-seconds, one shot. Meerschaert’s not a bad fighter. He’s a great fighter. He’s had some tremendous victories lately, but that just showed what Khamzat is capable of.”
Do you think there’s a path to victory for Nate Diaz this weekend? Or will his last outing under the UFC end in a defeat at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
