Former UFC star Nate Diaz has delivered sharp criticism of recent middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, calling the Swedish-Chechen fighter a “scared” fighter after his dominant however controversial title-winning efficiency at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025.
Khamzat Chimaev Slammed by Nate Diaz
‘Borz’ Khamzat Chimaevcaptured the UFC middleweight championship by defeating Dricus du Plessis by way of unanimous choice (50-44 on all three scorecards) on the United Middle in Chicago. Whereas the victory was decisive, it drew criticism from followers and fighters for its perceived lack of motion, with Chimaev relying closely on wrestling management for over 21 minutes of the 25-minute battle.
During a livestream with content creator Sneako, Diaz explained his disapproval of Chimaev’s fighting style, stating: “I don’t like that kind of fighting. It’s boring to me. He’s supposed to be the big scary guy, right? Remember when he had him in side control and he’s holding him – dominating him, and then he’s like, let’s go and hit him a little bit, like little soft punches.
The “Scared Fighter” Accusation
Nate Diaz went additional in his critique, arguing that Chimaev’s cautious strategy revealed concern quite than dominance. “That’s what folks don’t perceive about, the fashion, that sort of fighter is a scared fighter. He’s scared for his life that he let go. He’s that afraid that if he lets go to hit him exhausting, that motherf*ker would possibly stand up and get the f*ck away from him. In order that’s a scared fashion to me.” Diaz mentioned.
The Stockton native concluded his evaluation with significantly harsh phrases: “He comes off as this huge, intimidating man however he’s a giant scared f*cking little one. That’s why I tweeted about. I mentioned, ‘he’s not a fighter as a result of you’ll be able to inform by how scared he’s holding him that tight.’”
Historical past Between the Fighters
The criticism stems from a sophisticated historical past between Diaz and Chimaev. The 2 had been initially scheduled to battle in the primary occasion of UFC 279 in September 2022, however the bout was cancelled when Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 kilos, weighing in at 178.5 kilos as a substitute of the 171-pound welterweight restrict. The weigh-in miss pressured the UFC to fully restructure the cardboard, with Diaz in the end going through Tony Ferguson as a substitute.
The situation was further complicated by backstage altercations at the UFC 279 press conference, which involved Chimaev, Diaz’s team, and other fighters, ultimately leading to the event’s cancellation. According to reports, Chimaev initiated a confrontation with Kevin Holland, which escalated when members of Diaz’s entourage threw water bottles after seeing the altercation.
Mixed Reactions to Chimaev’s Performance
Chimaev’s UFC 319 efficiency has divided the MMA neighborhood. Whereas he efficiently accomplished 12 takedowns and landed 529 complete strikes in comparison with du Plessis’s 45, the dearth of ending makes an attempt drew criticism. The Chicago crowd audibly booed throughout parts of the battle, significantly when Chimaev maintained management positions with out touchdown important injury.
Brazilian middleweight Paulo Costa echoed Diaz’s sentiments, describing Chimaev’s fashion as having “a number of potential to kill this enterprise” and calling the efficiency “horrible for the watchers. Costa, who has his personal contentious historical past with Chimaev, argued that the battle would discourage informal followers from watching MMA.
Nate Diaz’s Hypothetical Game Plan Against Chimaev
Despite the cancelled bout, Diaz revealed his strategy for facing Chimaev, emphasizing his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background. “I didn’t plan on getting up once I fought Khamzat. Let’s go to the bottom motherf*ker. I’m a blackbelt. I plan on going to my again and ending your f*king a**. Splitting your entire face open for 25 minutes,” Diaz said.
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defended Chimaev’s efficiency, calling critics “casuals” and praising the technical dominance displayed towards a champion-level opponent. Whittaker emphasised that such one-sided management on the championship degree is uncommon and ought to be appreciated by critical MMA followers.
