Nate Diaz says 'rookie' Chimaev doesn't deserve to fight him
Nate Diaz has no interest in fighting Khamzat Chimaev, the ascending star who's finished all four of his UFC bouts inside of two rounds.
"They're coming at me with him and I'm like, 'Hold on, don't disrespect me like that,'" Diaz told TMZ Sports. "Trying to offer me a fight with a rookie. I'm cool. You got four fights in the UFC. Don't even talk my name."
UFC president Dana White has publicly stated his interest in setting up a tilt between Diaz - who has one fight left on his contract - and the rising Chimaev.
But Diaz said he's looking to fight an opponent ranked in the top 10, if not the top five. Chimaev is ranked No. 11 at welterweight and is unranked at middleweight where he picked up two of his four UFC victories.
"Fight the newer guys in the UFC," Diaz said of Chimaev. "There's levels to this."
Chimaev called Diaz a "fake gangster" after catching wind of the comments:
You fake gangster @NateDiaz209 and I don't care who to fight iβm coming for everybody, where are you all the gangsters and kings ?
β Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) December 2, 2021
i'm here to kill everyone i'm the king here i'm a gangster here βπΌπ
Diaz is coming off a decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 263 in June, which marked his third defeat in his last four trips to the Octagon. He said he wants to fight in January at UFC 270 in Anaheim.
The 36-year-old has hinted at potential tilts with Tony Ferguson and Vicente Luque in recent months, but the UFC hasn't seemed keen on those ideas.