Khamzat Chimaev Is A -1000 Favorite In His Fight Against Nate Diaz–Why??

The UFC is doing Nate Diaz incredibly dirty. There’s no doubt that Diaz is a UFC legend–but there’s also no doubting the fact that his day has come and gone. Diaz hasn’t won a fight since 2019, and before that, his last win was in 2016. In his career, he’s 4-5 while fighting at Welterweight, and he hasn’t won any bout via KO/TKO since 2013. So, naturally, for the last fight on his contract, he was given the scariest man in the organization.

Nate Diaz is set to face off against UFC phenom Khamzat Chimaev this Saturday, September 10th, at UFC 279. Chimaev is 5-0 in the UFC, winning his most recent fight via unanimous decision over Gilbert Burns. Prior to the Burns fight, Chimaev had shown no weaknesses…literally, he was only punched twice in his first four fights. However, in his last fight at UFC 273, Burns exposed a few of Chimaev’s flaws, even winning a round in the process. However, Khamzat quickly sealed those holes up and won what could’ve been the fight of the year.

Chimaev’s stock has never been higher–if he were to be fighting for the belt here instead of fighting Diaz, no one would bat an eye. However, he has to get by Diaz before anything else, which is a matchup that has left many fans scratching their heads. 

Not only do the fans think this one will be a bloodbath–even the oddsmakers give Diaz no shot. Right now, according to the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, Chimaev is a resounding -1050 favorite over Diaz, who is +700 to win. I’m sure you could find even higher odds on these New Jersey Online Casinos. 

So how does a fight like this even get made in the first place? Or, better yet–WHY does it get made? Let’s take a look.

Why Is Khamzat Fighting Nate Diaz?

Ask Dana White this question, and he’ll tell you plain and simple: Diaz wanted it. In an interview earlier this month, White had this to say about the bout:

“GETTING A FIGHT DONE WITH HIM [DIAZ] ISN’T AS EASY AS IT SEEMS. EVERYBODY IS LIKE WHY DON’T YOU MAKE A FIGHT?… WELL, HE ASKS FOR FRANCIS NGANNOU! AND YOU KNOW I COULD GO ON FOREVER, BUT I WON’T. WE GOT IT DONE THAT’S THE FIGHT [AGAINST CHIMAEV] THAT HE [DIAZ] WANTED AND WE MADE IT AND HERE WE ARE.”

Oh so if Dana White says it then it must be true, right? I’m sure there is no other reason Diaz is being fed to a man whose nickname is literally “The Wolf,” right? Well, just in case there IS a different reason, we better figure it out–and oh would you look at that, it’s right here.

This is Diaz’s last fight on his UFC contract. After this, he is free to go do whatever he wants. Work at Five Guys, smoke some weed, maybe even…fight Jake Paul??? Yes, Diaz’s name has been atop Jake Paul’s fight list for quite some time now. However, because of Diaz’s UFC contract, he hasn’t been able to do it. Now that he will presumably be out of contract with the organization though, he can go box whatever Youtuber he pleases. And while this is all mighty fine with me, it doesn’t sit well with Mr. Dana White, who just exploded on Jake Paul at a recent presser.  

“Stop asking me about Jake Paul you guys. I don’t give a sh** what Jake Paul does…” White went on to say “The guy has nothing to do with my business. The guy doesn’t fight for me, he’s not even in the same fu***** sport as me.” 

So yea, White and Paul aren’t the best of friends. However, many are interpreting this Diaz fight as a double-edged middle finger from Dana White himself. You want to go fight elsewhere and not resign with the UFC, Nate? Well, here’s Khamzat. And Jake, you want to box Nate? Well, have fun marketing that after we send him off with what should be a steamrolling. 

While this is probably looking a bit to far into it, it’s something to at least consider when you see that -1000 fightline favoring Khamzat. However, before you bet on the Sweed, take some advise from the Welterweight GOAT himself, George St Pierre, who had this to say about the fight:

“Nate Diaz did a great performance when he fought Leon Edwards,” he added. “He was losing the fight but he finished very strong, he rocked Leon Edwards and he had a very strong finish. And it proves to us once again that it’s never over until it’s over and anything can happen. And then we saw what happened the other last weekend [with Edwards and Kamaru Usman at UFC 278] ... so anything can happen in this game.”