“It’s a pretty tough way to go out the door” – Khamzat Chimaev should have “a relatively easy time,” according to Anthony Smith, despite his appreciation for Nate Diaz’s “ability to make people look bad”

Zohan Mistry
|PublishedAug 09, 2022

Anthony Smith has predicted the outcome of the highly awaited fight between Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev, which is quickly approaching.

18 of ‘Lionheart’s’ 53 MMA battles have taken place inside the octagon, making him a seasoned UFC fighter. During his fight with Magomed Ankalaev last weekend, the former challenger for the light heavyweight title injured his ankle. He will now try to heal and push for another attempt at the 205-pound crown.

Anthony Smith maintained during a discussion of the UFC 279 main event that Nate Diaz’s experience and tenacity have the power to “make any fight tough,” even though many might view Khamzat Chimaev’s opponent as having an easy matchup. In an MMA Pros Pick video posted to James Lynch’s YouTube account, Smith stated:

“It’s a pretty tough way to go out the door. As much as I can say Chimaev is the more powerful striker, he’s the more technical guy, he’s the better wrestler, the only thing I can definitively give you a place that Nate Diaz has an advantage is his conditioning and maybe his submission ability. But Nate Diaz is Nate Diaz, he can mess around and make any fight tough for anybody… Nate’s got this uncanny ability to make people look bad, so there’s a good chance that could happen… I wouldn’t be shocked to see Nate turn this into an ugly dog fight… But, chances are, Chimaev has a relatively easy time.”

The 37-year-old welterweight is probably nearing the end of his MMA career, and in typical Nate Diaz form, he will be up against one of the most intimidating young fighters the sport has seen in recent years.

Does Khamzat Chimaev get a crack at the title if he defeats Nate Diaz?

Even though Diaz is unranked and nearing the twilight of his career, another convincing victory for “Borz” would significantly increase his value and almost certainly land him a meeting with the welterweight champion.

Chimaev has stated his desire to revert to middleweight and unseat Israel Adesanya. But before he can achieve that, the 28-year-old undefeated fighter would probably have to face Kamaru Usman or Leon Edwards for the 170-pound title.