Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev Verbally Agreed For UFC 279

After months of drama, UFC star Nate Diaz is closing in on a return to the Octagon against welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev.

According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, via UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, the Chimaev/Diaz matchup has been verbally agreed upon and the UFC is working on finalizing the bout. The fight will take place as the UFC 279 headliner on Sept. 10 in Las Vegas, NV.

This is the last fight on Diaz’s current UFC deal, and he has no plans to re-sign. He has hinted at a potential boxing match against Jake Paul, along with competition in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, for his next combat sports venture.

Diaz hasn’t ruled out an eventual return to the promotion after his current deal comes to a close. He hasn’t fought since a loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 263.

Diaz will face an undefeated Chimaev who is coming off the biggest win of his career over former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273. He earned a unanimous decision win in arguably one of the greatest three-round fights in recent UFC history.

Khamzat Chimaev And Nate Diaz’s Representative React To UFC 279 Report

Nate Diaz Khamzat Chimaev
Photos via Instagram @ufc @natediaz209

Following Okamoto’s report, Chimaev provided a statement on the matchup with Diaz.

“I am going to handle Nate Diaz’s funeral with the UFC,” Chimaev told ESPN.

Diaz’s lead representation, Zach Rosenfield, also confirmed the details of the UFC 279 report and reiterated Diaz’s longtime interest in the fight.

“This is a fight Nate has been asking for since the middle of April,” Rosenfield told ESPN.

Diaz had been offered a fight with Chimaev last year but declined the offer, citing “disrespect” from the promotion. He has taken issue with the UFC brass’ attempts to pair him up with young up-and-coming fighters to make a name off of him.

UFC 279 will also feature a bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and former champion TJ Dillashaw.

What is your early prediction for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz?

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