Khamzat Chimaev

Nate Diaz apparently has no interest in fighting Khamzat Chimaev.

Despite being called out by Chimaev and UFC president Dana White trying to book the match, Diaz told TMZ Sports it's disrespectful to put him against such an inexperienced fighter.

"They're coming at me with [Khamzat], and I'm like, 'Hold on, don't disrespect me like that, trying to offer me a fight with a rookie.' I'm cool, you got four fights in the UFC. Don't even talk my name," Diaz said. 

Chimaev has won his first four fights since debuting in UFC last July. The Russian has ascended to No. 11 in the welterweight rankings, which puts him higher than the unranked Diaz, who has lost three of his last four bouts.

White recently said he feels like fighters are ducking Chimaev.

"Nobody wants to fight this guy," White said on the Jim Rome Podcast. "Everybody wants to get out on social media and say this or say that. But when it really comes down to it, nobody's trying to fight Khamzat Chimaev. I don't blame them. But at the end of the day when you're a professional fighter—this is what you do—you should look at a guy with as much hype and as much bravado as Chimaev has, as a huge opportunity."

Diaz has never been one to duck a fight, becoming one of the most popular fighters in UFC history because of his incredible toughness. The 36-year-old's last fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 263 saw him take four rounds worth of punishment before nearly knocking out Edwards with a flurry of punches in the fifth round.

Chimaev has been an unstoppable force since starting his MMA career. Seven of his 10 fights have ended in one round, and none have gone past the 1:15 mark in the second round.

It's hard to say Diaz is ducking any opponent, but it's far from a disrespectful idea to put the two in an Octagon and let the fists fly. 

Welcome back to TGIFighting, where we talk to top fighters, preview the weekend's combat sports action and make crotchety observations about the combat sports news of the day. Ready? Let's proceed.

When Kamaru Usman steps inside the chain link Saturday for his rematch with Colby Covington, the bad blood will stay backstage.

That may be the biggest change from their original bout, but it's hardly the only one. The truth is, the champ and his recent evolution—physical, emotional, mental, psychological—portends big trouble for Covington in the main event of UFC 268 at New York's venerable Madison Square Garden.

In fact, I might go so far as to predict that Usman will dominate Covington this time, unlike the more back-and-forth affair we saw in the 2019 original. Why? Let's dive into the details.

Before we get to Covington, it's instructive to look at another rematch: his run-back with Jorge Masvidal (35-15) back in April. The original bout saw Usman (19-1) lay a gavel-to-gavel clinic on the Miami street-fighting legend, making the second bout a bit unnecessary unless you're counting dollars and cents. There's plenty of money in this rematch with Covington (16-2) too, but it's a different dynamic this time. Usman finished Covington in the fifth round, but not before Covington took rounds off the champ.

Still, there's symmetry between the two rematches, and it rests with Usman's ongoing evolution from a scary competitor to a champion to a fully self-actualized fighter.

In their initial matchup, Masvidal actually had some success with wrestling, stopping 11 of 16 Usman takedown attempts. In response, Usman used the clinch to slow down the action (16:38 of control time to none for Masvidal). This plus a high work rate (263 total strikes landed to Masvidal's 88) exhausted Masvidal and kept his boxing under wraps. But it didn't exactly light the world on fire.

Usman heard the "boring" labels and played the "put some respect on my name" card, even as he sat at No. 5 in the pound-for-pound rankings. But he knew the stigma wouldn't go away unless he did something about it.

His humiliation of Gilbert Burns (20-4) was a good first step. After that, in an interview with UFC broadcaster and podcasting king Joe Rogan, Usman called for the Masvidal rematch, predicting a stoppage this time around.

MMA World encapsulated both moments in one video:

"Guess what? It's not done," Usman said. "I'll give [Masvidal] a whole training camp. I guarantee you he won't sign on that dotted line. Because this time I'm gonna finish your ass."

Masvidal did ultimately sign, but maybe he shouldn't have.

In that rematch, Usman's standup game was, if not fully reinvented, massively improved. He managed range better, threw more effective combinations and landed everything with more precision. He relied less on wall-and-stall and stay-busy striking and racked up a lot more damage en route to a second-round KO. A laser-guided right hand to the chin, set up by takedown feints, was the decisive sequence.

Fast-forward to this week, when Usman made comments reminiscent of those he made before the Masvidal rematch.

"I want to make it a little bit more flawless this time around," Usman told reporters.

At Thursday's news conference, Usman went into more detail. Spoiler alert: it doesn't seem like these two will be sharing a frosty beverage any time soon, but Usman is working to detach that from the competition at hand.

“It’s changed a lot because I actually grew a little bit of appreciation for the guy,” Usman said, per MMA Junkie. “I appreciate everything that he does, everything that he comes with. I love it because it’s another challenge for me to get over and at this point in life, at this point in my career, I look forward to those challenges. On Saturday night, I’ll do what I do best and that’s smash another challenge.”

There's that symmetry again, and there's every reason to believe this mental shift as well as the new wrinkles in his standup game will make him an even better fighter come Saturday night. Ever since joining up with vaunted coach Trevor Wittman, Usman is more adept than ever at game-planning, with Wittman bringing out Usman's already high fight IQ. Usman now evokes memories of fighters like Anderson Silva or Demetrious Johnson, learning computers capable of following complex decision trees even as the live bullets fly.

This is good, because this will likely be another standup war. In their first contest, neither Usman nor Covington attempted a takedown the entire contest. Both men are very strong offensive and defensive wrestlers (Usman has a 100 percent takedown defense rate, while Covington sits at 75), meaning the skill sets cancel each other out. Let's also not forget this is still a grudge match. With so many eyeballs on this rematch and two large personalities in the cage, both men will seek the knockout.

Covington won't be a sitting duck on the feet. He has power, skill and a boatload of cardio, but he's far from a black-belt standup fighter, at least not based on what we've seen to date. In the Masvidal rematch, Usman outstruck a striker. The way he strings together combinations and conserves energy are powerful assets. 

But Usman's real adjustment will come between the ears. The champ has admitted being a bit overwound in their original. But it's something Usman said he has cleaned up.

"For me, the wrong that I want to right is in that fight, I fought with emotion," Usman told reporters. "As much emotion I was willing to display is what I fought with, which is why I think I got hit quite a bit."

Given the physical and mental improvements we saw against Masvidal, as well as the calmness and poise he exuded, it looks like we'll see an even better Usman in Saturday's rematch, likely with yet another coat of polish applied. If past is prologue, he'll be more dynamic and more ready to bully the bully even more than last time. That will spell curtains for Covington.

         

Chimaev Is the Belle at the Ball

Last week before his utter destruction of Li Jinliang (18-7), Khamzat Chimaev (10-0) told me he still believed he was flying under the UFC radar.

Well, that's not the case any longer. He has the attention of the most important figures in the welterweight division and beyond.

The first is the champ himself. This week, Usman took time out from hyping UFC 268 to answer a question about the native Chechnyan. He wasn't committal either way, but there was a suggestion that Chimaev could move even further up the rankings sooner than later.

"He's done a tremendous job with the opposition he's been presented with," Usman said. "No shame in that, he's doing great. I like it, I love all the hype that's been there, but let's all be honest. Life is not fair. We learn that as kids. Some guys get a faster push, some guys don't. It is what it is."

Another potential name in the mix? One Nate Diaz (21-13). Chimaev called him out after his win, and the idea was quickly backstopped by UFC President Dana White.

The UFC would likely have to open its checkbook wide in order for Diaz to take the fight. But just the fact that Chimaev is mentioned in the same breath with either of these immortals is a testament to how far he rose up the ranks based largely on one of the most emphatic performances in recent UFC memory.

        

The Squeamish Bettor

Record to date: 22-7 

OK, time for a name change. Time to call this what it is. If you're a conservative bettor, if you're looking for a solid anchor for a parlay or if you're just looking for a way to impress your friends, you've come to the right place. Welcome to the low-risk end of the pool. 

As always, I'm walking my talk and betting these picks myself.

We'll do two this week. First, it would be disingenuous of me not to go for an Usman knockout after talking him up this much. That's currently +140.

The other pick goes for the legendary Frankie Edgar (24-9-1), the former lightweight champ who at 40 is near the end of his career. But here's guessing he still has enough quickness and mental acuity to defeat Marlon "Chito" Vera (17-7-1), a more deliberate opponent who won't be able to handle Edgar's work rate. Edgar is currently a slight underdog at +150, but if anyone knows anything about how to succeed as an underdog, it's Edgar.

Don't be surprised to see Edgar grab the win and then ride off into the sunset. The New Jersey native is fighting in friendly confines, and he surely knows what a storybook ending this would provide. Get your tissues ready, Edgar fans.

      

All stats courtesy of UFC Stats unless otherwise noted.

           

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If Dana White has his way, a Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight will happen in the near future.

White told TMZ Sports he is "100 percent" interested in booking the fight and plans to talk to Diaz about making it happen. Chimaev called out Diaz after his first-round submission of Jingliang Li at UFC 267. 

“We’re going to talk to Nate (Diaz) about it,” White said. “One hundred percent. This guy is like nothing anyone has ever seen. When you think about it, he’s got more UFC wins than he’s been hit inside the Octagon. It’s insane. The other night they filmed his walkout on Instagram Live, and it broke the record. It’s the biggest Instagram Live we’ve ever done.”

Chimaev has reeled off 10 straight victories to start his pro MMA career, and he's won Performance of the Night in each of his four bouts with UFC. A matchup with Diaz, considered one of the toughest and most popular fighters to ever set foot in the Octagon, would go a long way toward turning Chimaev into a mainstream star. 

“Hey Diaz, let’s go, brother,” Chimaev told reporters after UFC 267. “Let’s go. You gonna get some smoke, bro. Let’s see who is the real gangster.”

Diaz has lost two straight fights and three of his last four overall. He's coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Leon Edwards that culminated in Diaz nearly making a comeback in the late rounds after being dominated early in the fight. 

When Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in November 2020, in what seemed to be the prime of his fighting life, it felt like the end of something. He had been so dominant for so long, almost single-handedly putting Russia's rugged Republic of Dagestan on the MMA map along the way, and suddenly, only moments after he strangled Justin Gaethje unconscious to improve to a staggering 29-0 overall, it was all over. 

Just one year later, Nurmagomedov's retirement looks less like the end of something and more like the flashpoint for an era of dominance for fighters from Dagestan, its surrounding republics and oblasts, and larger Russia.

The signs couldn't be any clearer after UFC 267, which went down last Saturday in the heat of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 

In the fourth of six main card fights, Dagestan's Islam Makhachev picked up a first-round submission victory over New Zealand's Dan Hooker, who has proved himself to be one of the grittiest fighters in the lightweight division. The win pushed Makhachev, who happens to be a close friend and training partner of Nurmagomedov, to an incredible 21-1 overall. It also cemented his status as one of the top contenders for for a shot at the lightweight title Nurmagomedov once wore. 

The 30-year-old wasted no time in calling for that opportunity post-fight. 

"Next fight, it has to be for the title, or a contender fight, because I have a nine-fight winning streak," Makhachev said at the UFC 267 post-fight press conference. "Who in my division have this? Just the champion [Charles Oliveira]. 

"And I feel my division is a little bit asleep right now," he added, putting his rivals on notice in a way Nurmagomedov once might have. "I have to wake up my division, because we have to change some things. The old guys from the top five, they've already fought for the title: [Michael] Chandler, [Justin] Gaethje. That's why we have to change something."

It remains to be seen if Makhachev gets his desired title shot, but he's very close to getting his hands on his division's ultimate prize.

The same can be said of Khamzat Chimaev, a native of Russia's Chechen Republic, which borders Dagestan. The 27-year-old extended his record to 10-0 with a first-round submission win—the product of a rear-naked choke—over China's Li Jingliang on the UFC 267 main card. 

Chimaev, though relatively inexperienced, has long drawn comparisons to Nurmagomedov and, despite their brief and supposedly overblown feud, has made it clear that he has immense respect for the retired legend.

After Chimaev's win over Jingliang, many believe he's primed for a Nurmagomedov-esque reign as a UFC champion, but he already considers himself the welterweight division's uncrowned king.

"I am coming for everybody," Chimaev said in his post-fight interview. "I kill everybody. I am the champ."

Makhachev and Chimaev's UFC 267 wins prove that Nurmagomedov's retirement was not the end of Russia's time in the MMA limelight, but rather the beginning of it—and that's without even mentioning new interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan, heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov, or light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev, who also won in Abu Dhabi.

While none of them are closely affiliated with or regularly compared to Nurmagomedov, all three carry the Russian flag when they make their walks to the Octagon. Then there's Tagir Ulanbekov and Zubaira Tukhugov, a pair of rising Nurmagomedov students, both of whom won on Saturday's undercard.

All of the above seem to recognize their role in continuing Nurmagomedov's incredible legacy—none more clearly, perhaps, than Makhachev, who now calls the unbeaten legend a head coach. 

Makhachev doesn't just relish comparisons to Nurmagomedov, but he also strives to cultivate them as he continues his march toward the lightweight title. 

"I want to be next Khabib," he told BT Sport ahead of his victory over Hooker. "I want to be like Khabib. Honestly, I want to smash all my opponents like Khabib, too.

"If somebody say, 'You fight like Khabib' or 'You gonna be like Khabib,' I want to be."

Welcome back to TGIFighting, where we talk to top fighters, preview the weekend's combat sports action and make crotchety observations about the combat sports news of the day. Ready? Let's proceed.

Khamzat Chimaev doesn't just want to beat Li Jingliang this Saturday. He wants to eat him.

That's a far cry from earlier this year, when Chimaev (9-0) publicly and strongly hinted at retirement as he sat in the throes of an extended bout with COVID-19. The case was so bad that it prevented him from training, much less fighting, and that instantly iced the wheels of one of the hottest hype trains in the UFC.

But now he's back to face Jingliang (18-6) to kick off the main card of UFC 267. And apparently he's...hungry? More on that momentarily.

Want proof that Chimaev isn't just an ordinary fighter? UFC president Dana White and Ramzan Kadyrov—the literal warlord who leads the Russian republic of Chechnya, where Chimaev was born and raised—both threw freezing water on the very notion.

Fight fans must be happy with Chimaev's ultimate decision to return. The 27-year-old only has three fights thus far in the UFC, but he's already had an eye-popping run. In a 2020 bout with Rhys McKee (11-4-1), Chimaev out-landed McKee by a 40-0 margin in significant strikes en route to a three-minute knockout. This was made all the more impressive by the quick turnaround from his UFC debut, a second-round submission of John Phillips (22-11, 1 NC) that happened just 10 days prior. That's about as impressive a debut as one could possibly have. 

He's currently a -590 favorite to defeat Jingliang. In all likelihood, a win would vault the super-prospect into the official UFC welterweight rankings, where Jingliang sits at No. 11.

But there are questions. Namely, how's his health these days? And how about his will to continue to compete at the highest level?

In an exclusive interview, Chimaev discussed his current health status and his semi-retirement, all while making, in rather colorful terms, unambiguous claims about his plans for Jingliang and the rest of the welterweight division. Claims like how he's going to devour his opponents. Now that's a lot to digest.

The exchange has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

     

What challenge does Jingliang pose that your past opponents have not?

Chimaev: Nothing. All the same. Beef to eat, bro. He is from China. Other guys were from other countries. That's it. I'm going to eat him up.

     

You seem to make a point of staying active in there, whether it's standing or on the ground. Does that come naturally, or is it something you work on intentionally?

Chimaev: It's natural. I've always been fighting in my life. Since I've been doing it all my life, I like it. I love it. That's what I do. When I'm healthy, I always try to fight. 

I don't give a s--t, I'm gonna go for the finish. I don't want to hold [opponents] down for three, four, five rounds. This is bulls--t. I like to punch. I like to beat him up and take his heart until he says "I give up," you know? I love that.

Hardcore MMA fans know about your battle with COVID-19 that led you to semi-retirement. The disease can affect people in a lot of different ways. What was it like for you?

Chimaev: I'm healthy now. And stronger than I was before. Maybe I lost some power, I don't know [laughs]. But I am 100 percent now, and I'm coming for this guy.

     

But what was it like for you when you actually had the disease?

Chimaev: Bro, you can Google this s--t. COVID. I don't know how to explain to you.

When I had COVID I couldn't train. That's why I said "I retire," but now I'm back and I feel good. I'm stronger now. I've done so many interviews on COVID, I'm like a doctor now. Because people give me so many questions about COVID.

     

Why did you decide to retire, and why did you decide to come back?

Chimaev: [I retired because] it was a tough time. Everything was going wrong.

But now everything is going good. I came back because I love fighting. That's why I come back. Make money, smash somebody, eat somebody.

     

When you took heat from White and Kadyrov, what was that like?

Chimaev: For me, it's all games. I play the game. Doing interviews, fighting, making money, to me it's all game.

My real life is my family. I live for my family. My mother, my brothers. I love them. That's why I play this s--t game, you know?

     

You've been away for a while, but you've still got a lot of hype behind you. Do you feel you're ready to make good on it? Jingliang is easily your highest-profile opponent to date.

Chimaev: Hang on. Everybody always says that. They say "you have a lot of hype behind you." It's not hype.

It's like this: I kill everybody. You know?

I am the best in the world. It's not hype. This is real. I'm real. I'm a real guy. I get finishes. I smash guys, I submit them. And still people talk about hype, hype. Some people know. Some people don't understand. But soon they're gonna understand.

KAYLA HARRISON GETS THE FINISH!!#PFLChampionship pic.twitter.com/LxQbsHS3ZE

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 28, 2021

Kayla Harrison Is Very Wealthy

Maybe you have a bone to pick with the low relative quality of Kayla Harrison's (12-0) opponents. Maybe the lightweight's dominance became numbing to you. Maybe the Professional Fighters League isn't on your radar at all.

It matters not. Harrison has now waded through your comments and concerns to become the best women's fighter in the world not named Amanda Nunes (21-4). And now the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist may well be its wealthiest after calmly dismantling no-Wikipedia-page-having Taylor Guardado (3-2) on Wednesday by second-round submission to capture her second $1 million PFL tournament.

Even if her degree of difficulty is far below Nunes and others, give Harrison credit: She crushes the cans with extreme prejudice. Guardado is the only one of Harrison's four opponents in 2021 to escape the first round. Only two bouts of Harrison's career—both against Larissa Pacheco (15-4)—went the distance.

So when will she jump to the UFC? That's the next million-dollar question. This was the last bout on her PFL contract, and she's made it clear she's open to other organizations, even if it means a move down to 145 pounds, where a clash with Nunes would be all but inevitable.  

Wherever Harrison ends up next, she's already cemented her legacy and her bank account many times over. And good on her. Plenty of fighters never get a chance to do either.

     

Stone-Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the Week

Record to date: 21-7

At UFC 267, the conservative betting favorite is Zubaira Tukhugov (19-5-1), who as of Thursday is a -165 favorite to best Ricardo Ramos (15-3).

There are a lot of Russians up and down this card, which takes place on the UFC's Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Tukhugov isn't as widely hyped as Chimaev or others—at least not anymore, as a failed drug test has kept him on the sidelines for some time. But here's guessing he can still get his wrestling and deceptively sharp striking game off against Ramos, who relies on jiu-jitsu to control and submit opponents. It figures to be a big night for the Russian fighters, and Tukhugov should deliver in style. Lock it in.

     

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Nick Diaz's manager said Saturday that the former UFC welterweight star will not have a UFC return fight against Khamzat Chimaev.

According to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Kevin Mubenga said the following with regard to Chimaev: "He's a good prospect, respectfully, but he hasn't earned the right to a mega-fight vs. Nick Diaz. So let's put those rumors to rest."

The 37-year-old Diaz is preparing for a UFC return after having not fought since UFC 183 in January 2015.

Diaz was the original Strikeforce welterweight champion before making the leap to UFC and winning his UFC debut against B.J. Penn at UFC 137.

He went winless in his next three fights, however, losing to Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre, and then falling to Anderson Silva, although the Silva fight was later ruled a no-contest since Silva tested positive for illegal substances and Diaz tested positive for marijuana.

The Silva fight was Diaz's first bout in nearly two years, but he was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after the fight because of his positive marijuana test. The suspension was lifted in 2016, however, Diaz resisted a return to competition.

In December, Mubenga said there was a 99.999 percent chance that Diaz would return to fight in 2021, ending a six-year absence from the Octagon.

Per Soumik Datta of Sportskeeda, UFC President Dana White didn't rule out a Diaz vs. Chimaev fight when asked about it recently.

The 27-year-old Chimaev is one of the fastest-rising stars in MMA, as he owns a 9-0 record with six wins by way of knockout and three submissions.

He most recently fought on the UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley card in September 2020, beating Gerald Meerschaert by first-round knockout.

Chimaev temporarily retired in March after dealing with complications from a COVID-19 diagnosis, but he later announced that he was not retired.

Diaz would undoubtedly be the biggest opponent of Chimaev's career to date, but based on his manager's comments, it is clear that Diaz is looking for his return bout to be against a more established fighter with greater name recognition.

UFC middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev is preparing his return to the Octagon later this year after being diagnosed with COVID-19.  

In February, Chimaev's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN's Brett Okamoto that his client was being flown to Las Vegas to receive medical attention in the United States due to lingering effects from the coronavirus. 

Speaking to Okamoto about his illness and recovery, Chimaev explained he's been able to start training again. 

"If you are sick, you cannot think about [a] fight," Chimaev said. "I was thinking, 'One month, sick. Then still, two months. When am I going to be finished with this s--t.' I'm healthy now, hungry again. I want to get back and smash somebody and make money."

Chimaev told Okamoto he recently had surgery in Chechnya to address some of the ongoing issues he was having from COVID-19. 

Abdelaziz confirmed on Dec. 30 that Chimaev "had coronavirus and when he went back to gym, his lungs did not recover 100 percent."

Chimaev had been scheduled to fight Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 19, but the bout was postponed due to his positive test. UFC rescheduled the match for Jan. 22, but Borz had to withdraw due to his longer than expected recovery. 

In a March 1 post on Instagram (h/t MMA Weekly), Chimaev hinted at retirement because of the problems he was having recovering from the virus. 

"I want to say thank you to everyone for their support in my path in this sport," Chimaev wrote. "I think I'm done. Yes, I know that I didn't take the belt, but this is not the most important victory in this life. It may upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything."

Okamoto noted that Chimaev is targeting August as a return date. The 26-year-old is 9-0 in his MMA career. He has won all three of his UFC fights by stoppage, including a 17-second knockout of Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night on Sept. 19.