Khamzat Chimaev can’t live by Nate Diaz’s famous line “I’m not surprised, motherf*ckers.” Because he is surprised.
Chimaev, the undefeated UFC welterweight title contender, is actually surprised that Diaz signed a contract to make their clash official. The two MMA stars are scheduled to square off in the main event of UFC 279 on Sept. 10 in Las Vegas.
Prior to the booking, Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC) revealed that he was offered Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) multiple times but didn’t deem it a fitting matchup and felt disrespected – which is why Chimaev is surprised the fight actually came to fruition.
“Yeah, of course (I’m surprised), because he himself tells the interviews (this is) a bad matchup for him,” Chimaev told The Mac Life. “Like, I can smash that guy easy. The guy is getting older. He’s not that guy that beat McGregor. He’s not that young guy.
“This is his last fight. He’s going to lose this fight and go do some boxing sh*t. I’ll kill him, I’ll kick his ass, and let him go.”
Chimaev marks the final bout on Diaz’s UFC contract as he’s set to become a free agent afterward.
Although Chimaev has every intention to put away the 37-year-old Diaz, he does respect him for accepting the bout.
“He’s a warrior,” Chimaev said. “Nobody can take that away from him. He comes to fight until the last second. Like he said always, kill or be killed. He’s doing all the time. Respect for him to take the fight. It’s a bad fight for him.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s fight hub for UFC 279.
