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UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera believes Nate Diaz might surprise his upcoming opponent Khamzat Chimaev when they collide at UFC 279 on September 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In an interview with Helen Yee, Vera discussed the upcoming fight between the duo, suggesting that the veteran still has something to give before he steps away from the octagon:
"It's kind of like a huge name that is still really good against a guy that needs the name and wants to go up in the rankings and fight for the belt. Nate, you know, he's still not a joke, he's a guy who comes and fights so he might show [Chimaev] something we've not seen before."
Vera continued:
"[Diaz's] got experience. He's a very durable guy, he's got good jiu-jitsu, he can punch. But, on the other hand, you've got a young guy [Chimaev] who is winning fights, that just beat Gilbert Burns, who is a top high-level welterweight."
The duo will square off in a five-round bout, which also happens to be the last fight on Diaz's contract. The Stockton native hasn't fought in the UFC since his loss to Leon Edwards in 2021, with his last victory coming against Anthony Pettis back in August 2019.
Khamzat Chimaev, meanwhile, has taken the welterweight division by storm, breezing through to a 5-0 record in the UFC. Now ranked No.3 in the division, a win over Diaz would move him ever closer to a title shot.
Watch Marlon Vera discuss the Diaz-Chimaev fight below:
Alexander Gustafsson believes Khamzat Chimaev is ready to beat up Nate Diaz at UFC 279
Alexander Gustafsson claims teammate Khamzat Chimaev will dominate his opponent in their highly anticipated clash. Gustafsson, who trains at the Allstars Training Center in Sweden with Chimaev, believes the match-up between the pair won't be a close one.
While Diaz is set to walk away from the UFC after a stellar career, Chimaev is continually rising through the ranks, ending four of his five organizational fights via TKO. The Chechen-born Swede will go into the fight in September as the favorite, hoping to catapult to fame with a win against one of the biggest superstars in UFC history.
