Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz and 4 other mismatches the UFC has booked

#2. Randy Couture vs. James Toney

Randy Couture is an MMA legend. A former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Couture popularized Greco-Roman wrestling and the implementation of dirty boxing through his intelligent clinch work. While 'The Natural' was at the peak of his prime, it was thought that there was no fighter with a better mind for gameplanning.

When Couture faced heavyweight boxing great James Toney, 'The Natural' wasn't in his physical prime. However, he didn't need this nor a great gameplan to defeat an opponent who stepped inside the octagon with no respect for wrestling or grappling as a whole. Toney's status as an MMA debutant and his relatively limited combat sports experience resulted in a recipe for disaster.

At UFC 118, Couture faced Toney in what was the former's final MMA victory. The outcome was inevitable, as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time secured an early takedown against the MMA novice, submitting him with an arm-triangle choke that Toney had likely never seen before.

The fight was slammed as a freakshow bout with no competitive or athletic merit, with even UFC President Dana White later echoing those sentiments.

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#1. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz has not fought since his lopsided loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 263 last year. His UFC contract is clearly nearing its end as he sits on a losing streak that summarizes his inconsistent record against top-level competition. Although he is now booked to fight Khamzat Chimaev, Diaz made life difficult for the UFC when it came to scheduling his final fight with the promotion.

Nate Diaz will be meeting the undefeated welterweight in a matchup many have denounced as a mismatch, and it is not difficult to see why. Diaz's past struggles have largely come against wrestlers due to his boxing-heavy stance, which causes his lead leg to be overexposed as a prime target for single-leg takedowns.

Not only does the Stockton legend bear a weakness against wrestlers who possess a size advantage over him, but fans fear that his celebrated chin might finally falter against Chimaev's seismic punching power.

From Dan Hardy to former foe Leon Edwards, MMA figures across the board are all expressing their outrage over the UFC's decision to book an aging 37-year old Diaz, who hasn't won a fight since 2019 against a 28-year old Chimaev, who is likely one win removed from a title fight.