Nate Diaz ready for brutal octagonal swan song after agreeing to meet Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279 in what will be his last ever fight in the promotion… but Chechen promises it will be the 37-year-old ‘funeral’
Nate Diaz has agreed to face Khamzat Chimaev in the final fight of his UFC deal
Diaz faces an undefeated phenom at UFC 279 in Las Vegas on September 10
The 37-year-old is likely to close the curtain on his 15-year UFC career
However, Chimaev promises to make it the ‘funeral’ of the UFC legend
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Nate Diaz has finally gotten his wish to leave the last UFC fight on his contract, but welterweight prodigy Khamzat Chimaev is ready to turn the Stockton legend’s swan song into a ‘funeral’.
A fight the UFC originally tried to make for International Fight Week earlier this month, Diaz and Chimaev will now face each other in a five-round main event at UFC 279 on Sept. 10 in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.
Diaz, 37, has been out since losing to rising Briton Leon Edwards in June 2021 and has publicly pleaded with the UFC to allow him the last fight on his contract.
Nate Diaz (left) has agreed to face Khamzat Chimaev (right) in what could be his last UFC fight
Dustin Poirier was considered his favorite opponent for the final fight, although Diaz claims he has been trying to take on Chimaev since April.
UFC seems determined to make the most of Diaz’s name as he will almost certainly leave the company after this next fight. Taking on the veteran against an emerging phenomenon like Chimaev ticks all the boxes for the UFC.
Chimaev, 11-0 in MMA, relishes the prospect of putting a legend to rest. The Russian-born Swede told ESPN through his representative Majdi Shammas: “I’m going to arrange Nate Diaz’s funeral with the UFC.”
Diaz, 37, has been out since losing to rising Briton Leon Edwards in June 2021
Chimaev promises to make the UFC legend’s swan song in the company his ‘funeral’
The 28-year-old stormed onto the scene in the UFC during the pandemic when he racked up three wins in a record 66 days, with the first two coming in just 10 days.
Chimaev has a 17-second knockout off his UFC record and has knocked out 10 of his 11 opponents so far. His most recent win, a decision win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, catapulted the Chechen to third in the 170lb standings.
Although he never became a world champion, Diaz remains one of UFC’s most popular fighters and box office attractions.
Diaz is generally 20-13 in his MMA career, but his lucrative fights with Conor McGregor – where he became the first man to beat the Irishman in the UFC – have made him a real star.
Diaz’s (left) lucrative battles with Conor McGregor (right) have made him a true star
His first encounter with McGregor in 2016 was the highest-grossing pay-per-view in UFC history at the time with 1.3 million purchases, and the second encounter, which McGregor won, remains the second-highest ever at 1. 6 million purchases.
McGregor’s clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 is number one on the list with 2.4 million purchases.
Diaz has expressed his desire to become a free agent and determine his own destiny at the height of his UFC deal. After several back and forth with Jake Paul, many believe Diaz will seek a payday with the YouTuber turned professional boxer.