UFC president Dana White isn’t surprised Nate Diaz snubbed a showdown with Khamzat Chimaev.
Russian wrecking machine Chimaev made an immediate beeline for fan favourite Diaz after choking Li Jingliang unconscious at UFC 267.
But the Stockton slugger quickly shut down a clash with the undefeated Chechen, whom he branded a rookie.
Diaz’s shutting down of a bout with the 10-0 welterweight hasn’t at all shocked White, who told TMZ: “Listen, everybody in this business, everybody in this company, is here because they belong here.
“There are no real rookies, per se, here.
“There are guys with more experience and some guys with some less experience.
“Khamzat Chimaev is one of those guys that’s willing to fight anybody.
“In multiple weight classes. On short notice. He’s doing wrestling matches. If it’s a fight, he’s in and he wants to fight you.
“And that’s the reality. People can spin Khamzat however they want to — and I don’t blame them.”
The UFC supremo added: “Listen man, Khamzat is a straight murderer.
“He’s a killer. He’s an absolute savage. And I don’t blame anybody for not wanting to fight Khamzat Chimaev.”
Diaz, 36, felt disrespected by the UFC’s attempts to put him in the cage with Chimaev, who only has four fights in the promotion to his name.
He said: “They’re coming at me with [Chimaev] and I’m like, ‘Hold on, don’t disrespect me like that, 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.
“There’s levels to this and I don’t even want to hear his name.”
The UFC brass are eager to have Chimaev back in action as soon as possible, with White revealing to Jim Rome: “We’re working on something for him.
“Hopefully this week, we’ll have an opponent for him. Nobody wants to fight this guy.
“Everybody wants to get out on social media and say this or say that.
“But when it really comes down to it, nobody’s trying to fight Khamzat Chimaev. I don’t blame them.
“But at the end of the day when you’re a professional fighter – this is what you do – you should look at a guy with as much hype and as much bravado as Chimaev has, as a huge opportunity.”
