"Nate Diaz still carries the flag" - Daniel Cormier says despite Khamzat Chimaev's star power, UFC 279 is "the Nathan Diaz show"

UFC 279 is expected to be Khamzat Chimaev's coming-out party, but Daniel Cormier believes Nate Diaz is still the reason fans will tune in to the event.

Diaz and Chimaev will clash in a rare non-title pay-per-view (PPV) main event this coming Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. These types of occasions are reserved for the biggest superstars in the company, and Cormier believes it was only possible because of Diaz's popularity.

Weighing in on the upcoming pay-per-view card during an episode of the DC & RC vodcast, the UFC Hall of Famer said:

"Honestly, when you think about UFC 279... For all that Khamzat Chimaev is, Nate Diaz still carries the flag for the event. It's still the Nathan Diaz show. And a lot of that came from the rub he got from Conor McGregor."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments in the clip below:

However, 'DC' admitted that he wasn't a big fan of the decision to have Diaz face Chimaev. The former two-weight champion, on his 3 Rounds with DC YouTube show, said he thinks the pairing is a gross mismatch.

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Daniel Cormier gives Nate Diaz tactical advice against Khamzat Chimaev

Clearly, Daniel Cormier doesn't think Nate Diaz has a huge shot to beat Khamzat Chimaev. Nonetheless, the retired fighter and commentator has laid out the best path to victory for the Stockton native.

As far as Cormier is concerned, Diaz's best shot at upsetting Chimaev is by forcing the bout to the ground and looking for a submission. 'DC' believes that striking with Chimaev is a terrible idea for Diaz, as the Chechen-born Swede possesses an ungodly punching power:

"I will move into the area of [a] coach," Cormier said on DC & RC. "If I’m Nathan Diaz’s coach, I’m saying let’s get this fight to the ground. Let’s look for submissions because Nate can box with anyone, but I feel the power might be a problem for Nate. Because Chimaev is really big… For a welterweight, he’s so big and strong. If I’m team Diaz, I’m trying to get this fight to the ground, or I’m looking for submissions the moment I go down."