Nate Diaz’s teammate, Gilbert Melendez reacts to Khamzat Chimaev failing to make weight at UFC 279.
The scene that went down leading up to UFC 279 has drawn reactions from many people in the MMA world. Fans, other fighters, and the media have all been talking about the days before and after this massive pay-per-view card. When Khamzat Chimaev missed weight for his bout with Nate Diaz things began to unravel. Luckily, the UFC was able to shuffle up the top three fights on the card and the event went off without a hitch.
“I just couldn’t believe it, I couldn’t believe he didn’t make weight. What an opportunity missed for this man to fight Nate Diaz the biggest draw in MMA right now and then when he stepped onto the scale, not even sucked up, not even trying, not even stumbling to the scale,” Melendez said in an interview with Submission Radio. “Every fighter knows that you got to give it your best, if you walk to that scale you got to try. You have to be out there almost running with your sweat suit on if you’re over and jumping off and running some more but this guy stepped on the scale pounds over, looks fresh as hell looks like he just had a steak dinner. And then he smirks and laughs at it. There’s one thing about being a villain in the sport but this guy, it just rubbed everyone the wrong way.”
According to Chimaev, the UFC’s doctor made him stop cutting weight. He came in at seven and a half pounds over the welterweight limit. He then decided to flip off the crowd and show no remorse for having missed weight. This did not sit well with fans or with Melendez. Chimaev claimed afterward that he could have beaten Diaz.
“Everyone’s just kind of like ‘yeah right, well then why don’t you make weight and show everybody.’ This is what everyone’s thinking, I think everyone thinks the same thing. Well, then why don’t you show us why don’t you make weight and show us then so whatever, he lost his opportunity and that’s it,” he explained. “That’s all the team looks at, you know you didn’t make weight that’s a win for Nate. He beats Tony Ferguson and he kind of beat the UFC man he went 3-0 that night.”
Melendez and the entire Diaz camp are happy with the way things turned out on Saturday night. Now Nate Diaz is free to do as he pleases whether that be to make a move to boxing or become a fight promoter himself in his new organization “Real Fight Inc.“
Watch the entire interview here: