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This past weekend, one of the hottest prospects in recent MMA history, Khamzat Chimaev, continued his barnstorming of the MMA world by steamrolling Li Jingliang en route to a first-round submission victory at UFC 267. The win catapulted Chimaev into the top-10 of the welterweight division and left fans wondering who would be next for the Swedish sensation. The answer is, potentially, Nate Diaz, even if the fans are not that interested.
Following his victory at UFC 267, Chimaev called for a bout with Diaz to see “who is real gangster” and earlier this week, UFC President Dana White said the UFC would try to make it happen. In response, there were no shortage of critics of the matchmaking, with the primary argument being that White and the UFC only want to book it because Diaz is on the final fight of his UFC contract and Chimaev is very likely a horrendous matchup for Diaz. It’s an argument that White denies vehemently.
“This isn’t a diss. I love Nate Diaz,” White told Barstool Sports. “I love Nick and Nate as much as anybody else does. You get to a point, all of us, in life, in your professional career, in sports, where you get to a point where you’re like, ‘Can I hang here anymore?’
“Are we looking for less daunting fights in the UFC? Is that what we’re looking to do? That’s just all bullsh*t,” White said. “The guy has had four fights in the UFC! ... Devalue him because it’s the last fight on his contract? Does everybody know he just lost his last fight? I don’t know if they knew that. How are you gonna devalue him? What if he loses with somebody else we match him up with? Would he be devalued? How does Khamzat Chimaev devalue him? You know how massive that fight - value is about being in massive fights that people care about. Fights that, when you make a fight and you announce it, there’s this buzz about the fight and everybody’s going crazy. Do you think that Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev is not that fight?
“Here’s the moral of the story: all these people are f*cking morons and have no idea what they’re talking about. I actually run the biggest f*cking combat sports business on planet f*cking Earth, so shut the f*ck up and let me do my job.”
The accusations are not without precedent. The ongoing UFC Anti-Trust lawsuit court documents revealed that former UFC matchmaker Joe Silva admitted to using hardball tactics with fights on the final fights of their contracts, saying that if a fighter turned down a contract extension offer, “I put him in a prelim against a really tough guy for his last fight.” Unfortunately for White, the UFC has a bigger problem with this matchup than public backlash to negotiation tactics: Diaz himself seems to have no interest in the fight. So, to use one of White’s own favorite sayings, we’ll have to see how it all plays out.
TOP STORIES
Rankings. Khamzat Chimaev breaks into the top-10 in this month’s Global MMA Rankings.
Feud. Justin Gaethje explains issue with Daniel Cormier, promises ‘we riot’ if he doesn’t get title shot after UFC 268.
Beef. Jiri Prochazka waiting on UFC to confirm title shot, rips ‘liar’ Aleksandar Rakic.
Chaos. Colby Covington disregards Khamzat Chimaev, blasts Dustin Poirier, Jorge Masvidal.
It’s Time. Bruce Buffer details harrowing COVID experience, ‘ready to roar’ at UFC 268.
VIDEO STEW
The MMA Hour.
Fight Motion: UFC 267.
Embedded 3.
Top finishes from Bellator 270 fighters.
Cartoons.
LISTEN UP
We Got Next. Interviews with Andre Petroski, Javid Basharat & Bruno Souza.
Heavy Hands. Breaking down the best fights at UFC 268.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
UFC 268 Cold Open.
is it SATURDAY YET?!?!?!?!?!?!! pic.twitter.com/LUYdbdRJ35
— danawhite (@danawhite) November 3, 2021
Friendship.
Rallying into fight week with “the showstopper” @peterqueally! My long time training partner and friend aiming to become Ireland’s 1st bellator MMA World Champion this weekend! Incredible! Let’s go my bro! Destiny!!! pic.twitter.com/1xgg3Lx8Gc
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 3, 2021
Aleksander Rakic.
Ask him why is he ducking to fight for the #1 Contender when he got offered the fight two days ago?
— Aleksandar Rakic (@rakic_ufc) November 3, 2021
Samurai my ass and I am the one who is declining to fight? I don't think so.
The time will come when I cut that ugly Czech flag shit off his head. https://t.co/O3OGrpRTOG
Will Brooks wants another shot.
A guy that went 1-3 in the UFC beat one of these guys twice. Second time easily.
— Will Brooks (@ILLxWillBrooks) November 3, 2021
Stop acting like this guy is that good.
He's only good against low fight I.Q opponents. @danawhite @seanshelby @Mickmaynard2 Let me back in so I can set shit straight. https://t.co/4l3Eb4bc5U
The GOAT just now figuring out that MMA is not fair.
When the purses are different and a fighter misses weight, that means that it costs one of the fighters more money than the other for the same mistake. Doesnt sound fair to me
— Artem Lobov (@RusHammerMMA) November 4, 2021
Dillon keeps taking Ls.
you fucked up @bisping not checking in with me when you come to NYC see you soon ❤️
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) November 4, 2021
Yeah buddy? Come see me. I ain’t going no where. I’ll send location any time you little shit stain. I shouldn’t of responded cos you’re just all talk, but please, I’m around if you wanna “talk” https://t.co/RiFjHq7Hgq
— michael (@bisping) November 4, 2021
hahah broke? Made more money from commentary than you made from fighting. Give it a rest you little fucking dork and stop tweeting and deleting like you’re little mentor. pic.twitter.com/QsmX6u63jT
— michael (@bisping) November 4, 2021
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
N/A.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m pretty sure Dana White isn’t trying to punish Nate for what it’s worth. The UFC for sure does that with some fighters but I don’t believe that’s the case here. I think they are trying to squeeze the Diaz lemon for the last bits of juice they can get out of it before he goes off to box Jake Paul, and Chimaev makes by far the most sense for them in that sense. Pro wrestling 101: build your new stars off the backs of your old ones.
Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.
EXIT POLL
Poll
Who wins the rematch?
This poll is closed
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68%
Rose Namajunas
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31%
Weili Zhang
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