UFC Saved Diaz, Kept Khamzat From Jail

Undefeated something-weight contender Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to fight Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last weekend in Las Vegas, but “Borz” blew up the scale the day before and got rebooked against Kevin Holland in a co-headlining catchweight bout.

The result was a quick and efficient slaughter.

That’s why Chimaev believes Diaz should thank his lucky stars the promotion saved him from a similar fate. After all, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 champion now gets to depart the promotion on a win (and on his own terms) while keeping Chimaev out of jail for the remainder of 2022.

“If I fought him, I’d kill him,” Chimaev told reporters at the UFC 279 post-fight press conference (transcribed by MMA Junkie). “I’d be in the jail, so maybe I have to be happy. You see Diaz fight so terrible. I don’t understand thinking about they can win against me. That guy Kevin Holland, tough guy. He’s a strong guy and much better than Diaz, you know. If him and Diaz are fighting, Holland would kill him. So I finished that guy so easy, first round, second minute, I don’t know. So yeah, Diaz has to thank God he didn’t fight me.”

Diaz is expected to try his luck at boxing and could find himself paired off against one of the Paul brothers at some point in 2023. As for Chimaev, who improved to 12-0 by steamrolling Holland, he’s stuck in a holding pattern until the welterweight division sorts itself out over the next few months.

A catchweight return is also on the table.

“Did you see that fight?” Chimaev said about Diaz’s victory over Tony Ferguson. “Did you see the guys get tired? Did you see how they kicked, how they punched? How they wrestled, how they grappled? The guys is old. I’m the young guy. I’m the killer. I don’t understand what the people talking about.”

For complete UFC 279 results and play-by-play click here and here.