Josh Thomson holds a unique record, but he doesn’t see it lasting after UFC 279.
Thomson is the only man to finish the durable Nate Diaz by strikes. He stopped him with a head kick and flurry of punches in 2013. Since then, Diaz has suffered one more TKO loss, but it was due to a cut caused by Jorge Masvidal in their UFC 244 bout, when a cageside doctor intervened to stop the fight.
Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC) meets unbeaten star Khamzat Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in the UFC 279 main event Sept. 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Thomson thinks Chimaev will take him out on the ground.
“The fact that I was the only guy to ever finish him, that’s short-lived,” Thomson said on his show “Weighing In Xtra.” “That is going to be done. That’s going to be over. My claim to fame is done now, guys. The UFC knows what they’re doing. This happens all the time. When you’re on your way out, they give you the toughest, hardest fight they know stylistically it does not match with you.
“Chimaev is the worst matchup that he could potentially get. The reach – Chimaev is tall, long, lanky, all of those things. The wrestling, the strength – Nate Diaz is not strong. He does have power in his hands. He’ll be able to take Nate Diaz down at will. He’ll just dominate the top position. So I’m going to go with Chimaev, TKO.”
UFC 279 will mark the final fight of Diaz’s contract with the promotion. The Chimaev fight has been largely viewed as a mismatch by many, prompting the likes of current welterweight title challenger Leon Edwards and ex-UFC fighter Dan Hardy to speak up. But UFC president Dana White defended the matchup, claiming both parties wanted it and that Diaz wouldn’t have wanted to leave the promotion any other way.
