Mixed Martial Arts-Swede Chimaev aims to 'smash' Diaz at UFC 279

LAS VEGAS : Chechen-born Swede Khamzat Chimaev has promised to "smash" fan favourite Nate Diaz at UFC 279 on Saturday to keep his name in the welterweight title picture and make his adopted country proud.

"Sweden is my home, everyone is supporting me in Sweden. We're gonna show the world where we come from," Chimaev told reporters ahead of his main event clash with Diaz, for whom it will be the final fight on his UFC contract.

Despite being an accomplished wrestler in his youth, Chimaev had no plans to become a fighter when he moved to Sweden at the age of 18.

"I didn't know what the UFC was at that time. I was working somewhere, trying to learn my Swedish," he told reporters at a media day before the event at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

"One of my best friends, my best brother, took me to the MMA gym. He said 'come to the gym' … I went to the gym, we sparred, I smashed the guys. The coach asked me what MMA record I had, I said 'it's my first time in an MMA gym',” the 28-year-old said.

"After one or two weeks I had my first fight, I won in like 20 seconds, I don't remember, and then everyone was saying 'you should start (taking MMA seriously), you're good at that'."

Spurred on by his early success, Chimaev moved to Stockholm and began training at the Allstars gym which is home to UFC light-heavyweight Alexander Gustavsson, and a six-fight win streak led to him being snapped up by the UFC.

He has since added five more victories to become a contender for the welterweight title held by Briton Leon Edwards, but first he must get through the potential banana skin that is Diaz.

The 37-year-old Californian has no problem throwing a spanner in the works, having brought the juggernaut that was Conor McGregor’s burgeoning career to