UFC 279

Khamzat Chimaev missing weight by 7.5 pounds on Friday caused a complete overhaul to Saturday's lineup.

Ironically, Diaz recently claimed that [UFC rejected his request for a fight](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/nate-diaz-pushes-ufc-dana-white-for-his-release-from-the-promotion-in-social-media-post/) against Ferguson. [feeding Diaz to Chimaev](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/nate-diaz-i-didnt-call-for-and-still-dont-want-to-fight-khamzat-chimaev-at-ufc-279/) on the veteran's way out of the promotion. Holland was originally scheduled for a 180-pound catchweight and was already in the ballpark of Chimaev's weight. Chimaev and Holland had repeatedly traded barbs in the months leading up to Saturday's event. Ferguson was originally scheduled to fight Li Jingliang, which has caused massive changes to the main card, set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. "It's not by coincidence that we stack guys the same weight on the same card in case anything goes wrong, but yeah, it worked out.

Chimaev will fight rival Kevin Holland instead, while Holland's scheduled opponent will fight Ferguson's scheduled opponent.

Most prominently, the bantamweight bout between Macy Chiasson and Irene Aldana is now a 140-pound catchweight bout. Ferguson was scheduled to face Li Jingliang in the penultimate bout of UFC 279. The 37-year-old Diaz was a major betting underdog against Chimaev, one of the world’s top welterweights, but his fight with Ferguson is expected to be much more competitive.

Know the updated match card for UFC 279, headlined by 'Nate Diaz vs Tony Ferguson' in the main event, 'Khamzat Chimaev vs Kevin Holland' in the co-main ...

If he gets dominated by Kevin H then he’s out of the contender pool.— Nasar Ishfaq (@NasarIshfaq) [September 9, 2022] It was reported that UFC contacted Poirier to fight against Diaz in the main event. Meanwhile, this comes a day after Chimaev, Holland, and Diaz were involved in a heated backstage brawl on Thursday, which also included the teams of these three fighters. At the same time, Chimaev will now lock horns with Kevin Holland in the co-main event, whereas, Ferguson’s previous opponent, Li Jingland will fight against Daniel Rodriguez, who was earlier supposed to fight against Holland. However, Chimaev missed the weight by nearly eight pounds at the official weigh-ins on Friday, which prompted the promotion to do a significant reshuffle on Saturday’s main card.

Nate Diaz will now face Tony Ferguson in the headline bout at UFC 279 after his original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, missed weight by over seven pounds ...

[Kevin Holland](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3943695/kevin-holland) in the UFC 279 co-headliner. Holland's original opponent was set to be [Daniel Rodriguez](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/4426312/daniel-rodriguez) in a 180-pound catchweight bout. [Nate Diaz](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2335679/nate-diaz) now will face [Tony Ferguson](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2560085/tony-ferguson) in the main event of the Saturday show at T-Mobile Arena. The UFC essentially booked this fight to get Chimaev a bout with a big star in Diaz in which he was expected to win. Chimaev kicked Holland during the backstage encounter. Diaz's original opponent, [Khamzat Chimaev](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/4684751/khamzat-chimaev), missed weight by 7.5 pounds Friday morning, coming in at 178.5 pounds for a 171-pound-limit bout. "It's going to happen now before Nate leaves the UFC. Ferguson weighed in at 170.5 pounds for that fight. Ferguson agreed to fight for five rounds against Diaz. Diaz had been scheduled for five rounds with Chimaev, but Ferguson vs. Chimaev's weight miss caused a chain reaction. We're locked in."

Nate Diaz remains in the top billing, where he will now face former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. Li Jingliang and Daniel Rodriguez will meet in a ...

[actually got into it yesterday backstage](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mma/2022/09/08/ufc-279-press-conference-canceled-backstage-issues/8028654001/). He made weight at 179.5 pounds for his previously-scheduled 180-pound contract weight bout against Rodriguez (16-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC). Holland (23-7 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was first to hit the scales Friday at official weigh-ins. -Irene Aldana vs. -Daniel Rodriguez vs. -Khamzat Chimaev vs. -Tony Ferguson vs. 11 UFC-ranked lightweight Ferguson (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC). Li Jingliang and Daniel Rodriguez will meet in a 180-pound contract weight bout to round out the changes to the main card. “It’s not by coincidence that we stack guys the same weight on the same card in case anything goes wrong, but yeah, it worked out. He most recently competed in April when he defeated Gilbert Burns. Getting these guys to agree to different fights can be a little tough sometimes, but we got ’em all done, they’re locked in.”

For the third fight on the main card, Li Jingliang will now face Daniel Rodriguez in a 180-lb. catchweight bout. The women's bantamweight bout between Irene ...

[UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson](/event/ufc-279), Live From T-Mobile Arena In Las Vegas, Nevada. [Get Your Tickets Here](https://www.axs.com/events/442080/ufc-279-chimaev-vs-diaz-tickets?skin=tmobile) Ferguson](https://plus.espn.com/ufc/ppv?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN) will take place on Saturday, September 10th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As Khamzat Chimaev failed to missed weight by 7.5 pounds on Friday morning, UFC rearranged the entire main draw as Nate Diaz is up against fellow UFC legend ...

How will the new main event between Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson unfold? Can Khamzat Chimaev still steal the show with a big win over Kevin Holland?

[Johnny Walker](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4594/johnny-walker) vs. [Darian Weeks](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5747/darian-weeks) [Irene Aldana](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2753/irene-aldana) (5) vs. [Germaine de Randamie](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/935/germaine-de-randamie) at Madison Square Garden fall through last year, which likely would have crowned a No. [Nate Diaz](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/365/nate-diaz) now fights [Tony Ferguson](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/538/anthony-ferguson) in the main event. ET and is available exclusively on [ESPN+ pay](http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/595608/9070?subId2=%5B%5Dsb%5Bp%5D23074355%5Bt%5Dw%5Br%5Dgoogle.com%5Bd%5DD&sharedid=MMAFighting) [-per-view](http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/595608/9070?sharedid=MMAFighting). This was a popular listener pick on recent episodes of On to the Next One and for good reason. [ESPN+](http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/595608/9070?sharedid=MMAFighting) at 6:00 p.m. Unless Li ends this one early, Rodriguez will figure out his rhythm and outscore him on the feet. I want to believe that Li will be rewarded for being a company man, but this is a difficult matchup for him on paper. His past opponent Khamzat Chimaev made a meal out of his weight cut and suddenly Li and the others had to make up for his mess. ET, followed by the four-fight prelims on ESPNN and [ESPN+](http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/595608/9070?sharedid=MMAFighting) at 8 p.m.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the main card for UFC 279, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Ferguson, who is officially 3-2 against UFC-level southpaws, should find some early success as the more diverse attacker and aggressive starter. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. UFC fighters Khamzat Chimaev left, and Kevin Holland exchange words during a ceremonial weigh-in for the UFC 279 mixed martial arts event Friday, Sept. [Khamzat Chimaev](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/khamzat-chimaev) and [Kevin Holland](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/kevin-holland). Aside from being a superior striker in boxing range, Aldana has underrated counter grappling and clinching that could come to light in this fight. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. UFC president Dana White keeps the fighters separated. Both men are action fighters at heart, but Walker has become overly conservative while Cutelaba’s wildness can still cost him at times. [Nate Diaz](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/nate-diaz) and [Tony Ferguson](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/tony-ferguson) makes much more sense from a matchmaking perspective. [Ion Cutelaba](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/ion-cutelaba) and [Johnny Walker](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/johnny-walker). [Irene Aldana](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/irene-aldana) meets [Macy Chiasson](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/tag/macy-chiasson) on the main card.

The Sporting News has you covered when it comes to where you can watch Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson.

- Main event: 12:15 a.m. - Main card: 10 p.m. The Sporting News may earn an affiliate commission when you sign up for a streaming service through our links. 5:15 a.m. 12 p.m. 10 a.m. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 279 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent. 1 a.m. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Jingliang will now face Daniel Rodriguez. A former interim UFC lightweight champion, Ferguson had his 12-fight win streak (from 2013-2019) snapped against Justin Gaethje in 2020. Diaz made his pro debut in 2004 for WEC.

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC 279 in Las Vegas.

Referee: Photos: Recap: Result: Round 1 – You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Ken Hathaway ( [@kenshathaway ](https://twitter.com/#!/kenshathaway)) on Twitter.

Khamzat Chimaev was set to take on Nate Diaz in the main event, but Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds for their welterweight tilt. Tons of negotiating and ...

[Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-279-predictions-nate-diaz-vs-tony-ferguson-fight-card-odds-preview-prelims-expert-picks/) [Diaz vs. - Alatengheili -165 vs. - Norma Dumont -420 vs. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event. And opening the festivities is a light heavyweight showdown between flashy strikers Ion Cutelaba and Johnny Walker. - Khamzat Chimaev -420 vs. We're locked in." Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Jingliang will also remain on the card and take on Daniel Rodriguez at a catchweight of 180 pounds. "It's going to happen now before Nate leaves the UFC. Tons of negotiating and waiting eventually led to a new bout atop the card with Diaz taking on fellow veteran Tony Ferguson. A brand new fight card is upon us 24 hours before UFC 279 is set to begin.

This PPV offers many chances to place a wager, including the top moneyline, prop and parlay choices.

Of the four women in this parlay, Aldana is the best finisher. While it's possible this fight plays out with Collier grinding Barnett down to the decision, his range and cardio likely allow him to do whatever he wants while Barnett increasingly gasses out and becomes more and more open to a finish. He is, however, a sharp and effective striker who has the technique to work over Erosa in this fight. As aggressive and often effective as he can be, Erosa tends to get hit just as much as he hits with a career 6.29 strikes landed per minute vs. It's set up to be an interesting main event on top of a card loaded with intriguing fights from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night, making it the kind of event that can draw plenty of interest from bettors. And opening the festivities is a light heavyweight showdown between flashy strikers Ion Cutelaba and Johnny Walker.

Tensions are already high as UFC 279 approaches with Khamzat Chimaev set to meet Nate Diaz in the main event from Las Vegas. For the first time in history, ...

21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. He has good pop in his hands, and if this turns into a slugfest, he's the one with the advantage. Jingliang was set to fight Ferguson, while Rodriguez was going to get Holland. The only other option would be if Chimaev decides to stand and strike as Holland's kickboxing is good. Holland has been all too happy to let fighters take him down in the past. When we look back at the winners and losers of this card, Chimaev will be considered a loser regardless. Meanwhile, Ferguson is fresh off a knockout loss to Michael Chandler. However, it's fair to wonder if he's just one of those fighters who has fallen off a cliff as he gets older. Like many fighters who are down on their luck, Ferguson has decided to try his hand at a new weight class. A potential fight between Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov would have been the hottest ticket in the sport. The Stockton fighter is in the last fight of his UFC contract and will now get a much better matchup against Ferguson.

The Sporting News has you covered when it comes to when Tony Ferguson and Nate Diaz will make their way to the octagon.

- Main event: 12:15 a.m. - Main card: 10 p.m. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 279 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent. The Sporting News may earn an affiliate commission when you sign up for a streaming service through our links. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. 5:15 a.m. 12 p.m. 10 a.m. Diaz was supposed to fight Khamzat Chimaev, but the latter missed weight prior to the fight. 1 a.m. Diaz is 14-11 with the UFC and has competed against Clay Guida, Donald Cerrone, Jim Miller, Gray Maynard, and Conor McGregor. With a new, last-minute opponent in Tony Ferguson, can Diaz pull off the win?

Check out what the UFC 279 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday's event.

We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from T-Mobile Arena. I swear I’m just gonna come to rip this guy’s head off. You can hear from all the UFC 279 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

Get UFC 279 results for the Diaz vs. Ferguson event in Las Vegas on Saturday.

[Highlights](https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/9/10/23346530/ufc-279-video-chris-barnett-caps-off-insane-comeback-with-ground-and-pound-knockout-epic-promo-flip) [Reax](https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/9/10/23346541/love-me-some-beast-boy-fighters-react-to-chris-barnetts-raucous-ufc-279-win-and-post-fight-dance) Ion Cutelaba](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/12838/johnny-walker-vs-ion-cutelaba) Jake Collier via second-round TKO (2:24)](https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/9/10/23346530/ufc-279-video-chris-barnett-caps-off-insane-comeback-with-ground-and-pound-knockout-epic-promo-flip) Macy Chiasson](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/12844/irene-aldana-vs-macy-chiasson) [Johnny Walker vs. Daniel Rodriguez](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/13022/li-jingliang-vs-daniel-rodriguez) [Irene Aldana vs. Kevin Holland](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/13021/khamzat-chimaev-vs-kevin-holland) [Li Jingliang vs. Tony Ferguson](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/13020/nate-diaz-vs-tony-ferguson) [Khamzat Chimaev vs. Chimaev will now face [Kevin Holland](https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4384/kevin-holland) in the co-main event in a catchweight contest. Ferguson fight card, live blogs of all the main card fights, and live [UFC 279 Twitter](https://twitter.com/mmafighting) updates from all the action at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Julian Erosa](https://www.mmafighting.com/fight/12972/hakeem-dawodu-vs-julian-erosa) [ESPN+](http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/595608/9070?sharedid=MMAFighting) PPV at 10 p.m.

"Nate Diaz and Tony, the fans have wanted to see this one forever," UFC president Dana White said after the reshuffle. "It's going to happen now before Nate ...

[Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-279-predictions-nate-diaz-vs-tony-ferguson-fight-card-odds-preview-prelims-expert-picks/) [Diaz vs. - Alatengheili def. Below is the complete (and updated) fight card with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook along with all of our content from earlier in the week. - Jailton Almeida def. - Julian Erosa def. Jingliang will also remain on the card and take on Daniel Rodriguez at a catchweight of 180 pounds. Can't get enough boxing and MMA? - Johnny Walker def. CBS Sports has been with you amid all the chaos this week in Las Vegas. "It's going to happen now before Nate leaves the UFC. Tons of negotiating and waiting eventually led to a new bout atop the card with Diaz taking on fellow veteran Tony Ferguson. A brand new fight card is upon us 24 hours before UFC 279 is set to begin.

UFC 279 received a last minute shake-up after Khamzat Chimaev egregiously missed weight on Friday, resulting in a slew of changes to Saturday's pay-per-view ...

In the U.S., the UFC 279 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 279 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent. The energy in the arena is already high. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. 9:02 p.m.: We are live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ahead of one of the craziest cards in UFC history. While on her back, Aldana drilled a standing Chiasson in the ribs with her heel. Cutelaba attempted to neutralize Walker's striking by taking him down but found himself being taken down later in the round. Both women decided to fight over the women's bantamweight limit of 135 pounds and will face off at 140 pounds. The innocent bystanders -- Li Jingliang and Daniel Rodriguez -- will meet in a catchweight of 180 pounds. Chiasson went down in a heap and Aldana picked up the stunning TKO. 11:26 p.m.: After two rounds it's been a relatively nip and tuck affair between Jingliang and Rodriguez in a fight that has remained on the feet. Needing to hit 171 on the scale, Chimaev came in at 178.5, missing weight by a whopping 7.5 pounds.

It could be the last time one of MMA's biggest stars competes in the octagon.

The UFC's intention heading into Nate Diaz's final contest at Saturday's UFC 279 was to give him the toughest possible matchup on the way out. Scrambling, the UFC made the best fight possible and it's a great one as Diaz takes on former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson in the main event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. But those plans came spiraling down when Chimaev unprofessionally missed weight by 7.5 pounds.

Results As They Happen, Winner Interviews And More From UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson, Live From T-Mobile Arena In Las Vegas.

[UFC 279: Diaz vs Ferguson](/event/ufc-279), Live From T-Mobile Arena In Las Vegas, Nevada. Lainesse was sharp with his strikes from long range, particularly the right hand. Martinez evened things up late, though, keeping the fight razor close. Martinez attacked the body in the early going, but a minute in, a stiff right cross dropped the newcomer briefly. After getting stung early, Anheliger got rocked midway through the round by a left hand from Alatengheili. And though he didn’t get the finish, it was another dominant frame for the Washington State native. And at 4:37, he got it, forcing Cutelaba to tap out to a rear naked choke. She escaped once, then twice, all the while taking a barrage of strikes before the horn sounded. Kicks were the theme of the first round, both landing, but Li having more success as he was busier with his attacks. 10, with the main card at 10pmET/7pmPT on [ESPN+ PPV](https://plus.espn.com/ufc/ppv?ex_cid=DSS-OFF-UFC-INARTICLE-EN). Welterweights [Li Jingliang](/athlete/li-jingliang) and [Daniel Rodriguez](/athlete/daniel-rodriguez) will also face off in a catchweight on the main card, all inside T-Mobile arena and available on Pay-Per-View. [Nate Diaz](/athlete/nate-diaz) and [Tony Ferguson](/athlete/tony-ferguson) in his return to the welterweight division in the main event.

Khamzat Chimaev submitted Kevin Holland with a d'Arce choke at 2:13 of the first round for an easy victory at UFC 279.

I come to die in the cage. "If I die, I die in the cage. He transitioned into the D'Arce attempt in the center of the cage and produced the tap. He has now finished five of the six opponents he has fought in the UFC, including four inside the first round. Born in Chechnya and now fighting out of Sweden, Chimaev is one of the fastest-rising stars in UFC history. It was a dominant performance by Chimaev, but it came one day after he missed weight for a scheduled welterweight main event against [Nate Diaz](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2335679/nate-diaz).

Nothing about the UFC 279 main event was as it was supposed to be. Nothing, that is, except for the fight between Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson serving as ...

- Alatengheili def. Conor McGregor didn't know how to do it. The losing skid is a sharp contrast from the 12-fight winning streak that preceded it and saw Ferguson become interim lightweight champion while establishing himself as one of the sport's elite 155-pound fighters. "I was like, this is such a bitch-ass rookie," Diaz said. Chimaev badly missed weight on Friday, forcing the UFC to shuffle three fights into three new match-ups. So, we made that happen." That decision turned out to be Ferguson's undoing as Diaz quickly locked in a guillotine choke and squeezed until Ferguson was forced to tap at the 2:52 mark of the round. "I didn't do no boxing. Even as Diaz had success, Ferguson continued landing hard leg kicks. One of the first kicks he threw in the fight led his shin to collide with Diaz's, immediately opening a cut on Ferguson's shin that would continue to bleed for the rest of the fight. Nothing about the UFC 279 main event was as it was supposed to be. Ferguson dug in with a good left hook to Diaz's body.

At UFC 279 Nate Diaz defeated Tony Ferguson in a bout that brought together two mixed martial arts legends at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ferguson can't take it anymore and gives up. UFC 279 was to feature Diaz vs. Ferguson tries to take Diaz to the ground, but Diaz defends well, manages to get to the arm and applies the guillotine.