"You don't know what happens if the fight goes to the fifth round" - Li Jingliang has interesting take on how Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz may unravel

Li Jingliang has weighed in on the highly-anticipated fight between Khamzat Chimaev and MMA legend Nate Diaz. Jingliang is no stranger to ‘Borz' as he was dominantly beaten by Chimaev via first-round submission in October 2021.

In an edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Li Jingliang indicated that many foresee the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev as the favorite to beat Nate Diaz. Nevertheless, he asserted that anything is possible in the sport of MMA. The Chinese native believes that Diaz could pull off the upset and hand ‘Borz’ his first MMA defeat.

Li Jingliang suggested that the legendary Diaz mustn’t be counted out as he's dangerous even in the final moments of a five-round fight. Intriguingly, Chimaev is yet to go the distance in a five-round fight. Addressing the fight, Jingliang stated:

“I think Khamzat never fight in five-round fights. And another big X factor is Nate Diaz is Nate Diaz. You don’t know what happens if the fight goes to the fifth round, or the last minute, last seconds, if you fight against Nate Diaz. What we really need, what the fans really need is a miracle. It’s a surprise in the fight, and I believe Nate Diaz is the guy who can give you this.”

Khamzat Chimaev is scheduled to face Nate Diaz in a five-round welterweight bout that’ll headline UFC 279 on September 10. Also on the UFC 279 fight card, Li Jingliang will face former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson in a three-round welterweight matchup.

Watch Jingliang discuss the topic at 14:17 in the video below:

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Khamzat Chimaev on why he accepted a fight with Nate Diaz

In a recent interview after a Fight Club Rush event, the No.3-ranked UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev opened up about why he chose to accept a fight with the unranked Nate Diaz. The Chechen-born Swedish MMA stalwart explained that although Diaz isn’t a high-ranking fighter, he’s famous and is therefore an ideal opponent.

Khamzat Chimaev pointed out that Nate Diaz has had a long career and has been fighting since he was in school. The grappling wizard claimed that he’s fighting Diaz for “fun” and could’ve waited for a UFC welterweight title shot instead. ‘Borz’ has said that he plans to prove he’s far more dangerous than a “gangster” like Diaz. Chimaev said in the interview:

“I took that fight, that guy is not top, but he's famous. Everyone loves him, everyone talk about this gangster. I eat gangsters for the breakfast. I'm gonna f**k that guy [up].”