KEY POINTS
- A leaked UFC 276 matchmaking board reveals the card includes Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz
- Chimaev calls out Diaz, Colby Covington and Conor McGregor in a series of tweets
- Darren Till names the best opponent for "Borz" at this point
Khamzat Chimaev might get one of the three big-name UFC stars on his wish list.
Following his UFC 273 victory over Gilbert Burns, Chimaev catapulted his name up to the No. 2 spot in the welterweight rankings.
Needless to say, Chimaev’s jump saw him increasing his chances of either getting a crack at UFC gold or landing a huge payday opponent.
To everyone’s surprise, a UFC 276 matchmaking board got leaked on social media which shows Chimaev will be facing Nate Diaz in what appears to be a co-main event bout.
Shortly after the leaked card, a seemingly thrilled “Borz” re-upped on the scrap with Diaz.
“Let’s fight skinny,” Chimaev tweeted.
Just minutes after Chimaev put Diaz on notice, he called out two more fighters—the No. 1 welterweight contender Colby Covington and UFC’s household name Conor McGregor.
See Chimaev’s tweets below:
Chimaev’s best UFC pal and training partner Darren Till, on the other hand, has shared his honest take on the matter.
According to Till, the best fight for Chimaev at this point is against Covington as he wants it to serve as a tune-up fight before the Swede competes for the title.
As for the outcome of the fight, “The Gorilla” is certain his friend will finish “Chaos.”
“I would like to see him fight Colby [Covington] in a five-round main event, and I think that’s the best thing for both guys,” Till assessed. “I think Khamzat can knock him out. I don’t think Colby’s felt power like Khamzat. Like, I’ve changed my opinion a bit because Colby’s a good fighter, but I just don’t see who he’s fighting who’s at the top of the top of the level right now. Obviously [Kamaru] Usman, but like, there’s no one [else]. Khamzat’s obviously come up real quick.”
“I just think Khamzat’s got so much power and edge over him,” he added. “Listen, Colby’s a terrific fighter, he’s phenomenal, but I see the win there with Khamzat, and I’d love to see that to get him ready for the title for Usman.”
Khamzat Chimaev getting his hand raised after beating Gerald Meerschaert in their UFC Fight Night bout in 2020. Photo: Getty Images/Zuffa/LLC
The UFC has yet to comment on the leaked UFC 276 matchmaking board. However, the promotion is expected to shed light on the subject sooner rather than later as the event is set to take place in two months.
