Khamzat Chimaev grew up a Nate Diaz fan. That’s part of the reason why he’s excited to share the cage with one of the biggest stars in MMA at UFC 279. The sense of nostalgia and honor, however, is also paired with skepticism and a sense of doom for his opponent.
“They say he don’t like me and I don’t like him, too. I like that guy,” Chimaev said in a recent interview with “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani. “I grew up on him. I went to school when he was fighting in the UFC. It’s amazing to fight that guy. I like him. You’ve seen in the movies. If it wasn’t for me, when I was young, the UFC was like movies. Like, ‘I’m never going to get there. I’m just going to see that.’ Now, I’m fighting with that guy I was watching. From Chechnya, I watched fights with them.”
Despite his fandom and respect for his opponent, Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) indicated he’s skeptical Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC) shows up for the matchup. The welterweight bout is scheduled to headline UFC 279, which takes place Sept. 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view. It marks the final fight on Diaz’s current UFC contract..
