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.

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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.

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VIDEO STEW

The MMA Hour.

Fight Motion: UFC 267.

Embedded 3.

Top finishes from Bellator 270 fighters.

Cartoons.

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LISTEN UP

We Got Next. Interviews with Andre Petroski, Javid Basharat & Bruno Souza.

Heavy Hands. Breaking down the best fights at UFC 268.

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

UFC 268 Cold Open.

Friendship.

Aleksander Rakic.

Will Brooks wants another shot.

The GOAT just now figuring out that MMA is not fair.

Dillon keeps taking Ls.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

N/A.

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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.

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EXIT POLL

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