Khamzat Chimaev is not worried about his legacy after the Nate Diaz fight, he wants the money.
Khamazt Chimaev’s rise to stardom in the UFC has been quick and furious. He burst onto the scene in 2020 and won two fights in ten days’ time on Fight Island. Immediately people wanted to know who this guy was and where he had come from. Now Chimaev is 5-0 in the UFC and has his next bout just one week away. Chimaev will be taking on Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279 on Sept. 10. This will be the biggest fight of Chimaev’s career so far and could lead to a title shot.
Diaz is a longtime veteran of the sport he rose to stardom in his own right and is now one of the most recognized names in MMA. This bout is said to be the last for Diaz in the UFC after months of asking to be released from his contract. Fighting such a notable fighter, Chimaev could be building a legacy with a win on Saturday night. However, he says that the fight is less about legacy and more about money.
“To be honest with you, I don’t care,” Chimaev about beating Diaz in an interview with ESPN. “Just get that money and go home and do some funny things and help somebody and be happy, you know. Smash somebody and get the million, brother. Everyone loves the money, we need the money because we need that for family, for something. Everybody wants to live the good life. I never make that much money in all my career, all my life.”
Chimaev has quickly made a name for himself as one of the toughest fighters in the welterweight division. He never backed downs from a fight and even though he probably could have waited for a title shot, he took this fight with Diaz anyway.
Chimaev is ready to square up with Diaz before the fight if need be
Nate Diaz is an unpredictable guy. From throwing things at press conferences, to smoking with the guy from USADA, fans never know what Diaz will do next. The same goes for Chimaev. He has stated that he is a fan of Diaz and has been for some time now. He knows the unpredictable nature of himself and his crew and is ready to go to blows at the drop of a hat.
“I’m gonna have some fun and sit there and if we want to fight with his team, I have like 20 guys with me and we can fight the teams, all the teams you know, and if it happens some funny things I hope so,” he said. “I would love to if they happen something crazy things there. We’ll see what happens. His team is old, my team is fresh.”
Whether they fight on Saturday night or beforehand, this bout is going to be fireworks. This could be the most anticipated fight of the year and fans all around the world are looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
Watch the full interview here:
