Michael Bisping has provided his honest opinion about Nate Diaz leading into his main event clash against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279.
UFC 279 will take place on September 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is expected to be Diaz’s last UFC fight as his current deal is set to expire.
Like the general consensus, Bisping is of the opinion that Chimaev is the overwhelming favorite to win the fight. On his personal YouTube channel, ‘The Count’ said:
“Let’s be honest, more than likely, Chimaev is going to be a gigantic favorite in this fight. And I understand that, but Nate Diaz has been in there with some of the best. Yes, Strickland is calling him old, I understand that because he’s been around forever. He’s got a lot of experience, but the reality is, he’s got a lot of fights.”
Indeed, the Chechen-born Swede will enter the September 10 event as a prohibitive betting favorite. The opening odds have Chimaev listed as a -1600 favorite, leaving Diaz as the +800 underdog.
However, Bisping warned doubters never to count the Stockton native out. The former UFC middleweight champion argued that ruling out a Diaz upset is a fool’s errand:
“Diaz has a professional record of 20 wins with 13 losses. [He’s] won five by knockout and he’s won 11 by submission. Now, the 13 losses, that doesn’t sound good. That is kind of getting to journeyman status, which sounds offensive, but [it’s] not. The man has been there with some of the best of the best.”
Michael Bisping gets criticised for justifying Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz
The booking of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz left a bad taste in many people’s mouths. That’s because a huge segment of observers think the matchup is a blatant attempt by the UFC to diminish Diaz’s value on his way out.
However, Bisping didn’t seem to have a problem with the matchmaking of the UFC 279 main event. According to ‘The Count’, it is the biggest fight Diaz could land outside of a trilogy bout against Conor McGregor. He added that the veteran earns a “ton of money” for his fights, which according to him justifies the matchmaking.
A number of YouTube commenters were unhappy with Bisping’s remarks. The former UFC champ and current color commentator was accused of shamelessly being a “company man.”