Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev verbally agreed to for UFC 279, says Hunter Campbell

After much ado regarding the final bout of Nate Diaz’s current UFC contract, a leading promotion official says agreements are in place.

UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, via broadcast partner ESPN, announced Tuesday that Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC) and rising star Khamzat Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) have verbally agreed to fight Sept. 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout will be five rounds and serve as the card’s main event.

Diaz representative Zach Rosenfield confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie and provided a statement to ESPN: “This is a fight Nate has been asking for since the middle of April.”

Diaz vs. Chimaev was a fight the UFC tried to book last year. Diaz turned down the fight then. As of last week, Diaz said the UFC hadn’t formally offered another bout. Diaz, who’s been clear that he wants out of the promotion, voiced his interest in exploring other avenues and said he felt the UFC was holding him “hostage.”

UFC president Dana White disputed Diaz’s claim and reiterated his statement that the promotion “needs” to offer each fighter three fights per year.

Diaz, who hasn’t won a fight since 2016, last competed in June 2021 when he lost a unanimous decision to Leon Edwards. The defeat was his third in three fights.

Meanwhile, Chimaev continued his tear through the UFC welterweight division when he won a three-round war at UFC 273 in April against former title challenger Gilbert Burns.

“I am going to handle Nate Diaz’s funeral with the UFC,” Chimaev said in a statement given to ESPN.

With the addition, the UFC 279 lineup includes:

• Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz
• Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Jailton Almeida
• Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf
• Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson
• Denis Tiuliulin vs. Jamie Pickett
• Heili Alateng vs. Chad Anheliger
• Melissa Martinez vs. Elise Reed