Khamzat Chimaev put on a dominant display to dispatch of Li Jingliang at UFC 267 before immediately setting his sights on one of the biggest stars in MMA.
Chimaev made the toughest test of his short career look easy as he picked up his Chinese opponent, slammed him to the mat, and dominated from top position before finding a first-round submission win earlier tonight.
At the UFC 267 post-fight press conference, Chimaev called for a fight with Diaz who is currently on the lookout for his next opponent.
“Hey, Diaz, let’s go, brother,” Chimaev told reporters post-fight at UFC 267. “Let’s go. You gonna get some smoke, bro. Let’s see who is the real gangster.”
“Fight, fight, fight – I love this sh*t, bro,” Chimaev said. “Make money, and it makes me happy to do this for you guys.”
The undefeated prospect burst onto the scene in the summer of 2020, quickly racking up three UFC wins. However, since then Chimaev’s career has come to a standstill as he battled some particularly nasty complications related to contracting COVID-19.
After more than a year out of action, Chimaev is intent on remaining active after returning to action at UFC 267.
“Fight, fight, fight – I love this sh*t, bro,” Chimaev said. “Make money, and it makes me happy to do this for you guys.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)
Diaz hasn’t fought since dropping to a decision defeat against Leon Edwards at UFC 263 in June. The Stockton, California native was outgunned for large portions of the history-making five-round fight but almost sprung an upset in the dying embers of the bout. Diaz had ‘Rocky’ on wobbly legs in the final frame but was unable to capitalize fully before the round and fight came to an end.
Since then, it has been confirmed that Diaz has just one fight left on his current UFC contract. Dana White is currently trying to convince the fan favourite to stay but it appears Diaz could be tempted by lucrative options outside of MMA’s premier promotion.
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