Nate Diaz Calls Out “Scared” Khamzat Chimaev After “Boring” UFC 319 Title Win

Former UFC star Nate Diaz has delivered sharp criticism of new middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, calling the Swedish-Chechen fighter a “scared” fighter after his dominant but controversial title-winning performance 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 via unanimous decision (50-44 on all three scorecards) at the United Center in Chicago. While the victory was decisive, it drew criticism from fans and fighters for its perceived lack of action, with Chimaev relying heavily on wrestling control for over 21 minutes of the 25-minute fight.

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 further in his critique, arguing that Chimaev’s cautious approach revealed fear rather than dominance. “That’s what people don’t understand about, the style, that type 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 hard, that motherf*ker might get up and get the f*ck away from him. So that’s a scared style to me.” Diaz said.

The Stockton native concluded his assessment with particularly harsh words: “He comes off as this big, intimidating guy but he’s a big scared f*cking child. That’s why I tweeted about. I said, ‘he’s not a fighter because you can tell by how scared he is holding him that tight.’”

History Between the Fighters

The criticism stems from a complicated history between Diaz and Chimaev. The two were originally scheduled to fight in the main event of UFC 279 in September 2022, but the bout was cancelled when Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds, weighing in at 178.5 pounds instead of the 171-pound welterweight limit. The weigh-in miss forced the UFC to completely restructure the card, with Diaz ultimately facing Tony Ferguson instead.

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 performance has divided the MMA community. While he successfully completed 12 takedowns and landed 529 total strikes compared to du Plessis’s 45, the lack of finishing attempts drew criticism. The Chicago crowd audibly booed during portions of the fight, particularly when Chimaev maintained control positions without landing significant damage.

Brazilian middleweight Paulo Costa echoed Diaz’s sentiments, describing Chimaev’s style as having “a lot of potential to kill this business” and calling the performance “horrible for the watchers. Costa, who has his own contentious history with Chimaev, argued that the fight would discourage casual fans 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 when I fought Khamzat. Let’s go to the ground motherf*ker. I’m a blackbelt. I plan on going to my back and finishing your f*king a**. Splitting your whole face open for 25 minutes,” Diaz stated.

Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defended Chimaev’s performance, calling critics “casuals” and praising the technical dominance displayed against a champion-level opponent. Whittaker emphasized that such one-sided control at the championship level is rare and should be appreciated by serious MMA fans.