Diaz closes the chapter on his UFC career in his final fight against Ferguson. Sports Illustrated is tracking all of the action from tonight’s card.
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In the event you’ve been away for the past 48 hours, the UFC 279 has been almost entirely reshuffled.
No longer is the main event Khamzat Chimaev against Nate Diaz.
Chimaev was drastically overweight at weigh-ins, registering 7.5 pounds over the maximum non-title limit. He now competes in a catchweight bout against Kevin Holland, losing a coveted spot in the main event. Instead, that now belongs to Tony Ferguson. Moved out of his fight against Li Jingliang, the new opponent for Ferguson is Diaz, making that the headline bout for 279. Jingliang will fight Daniel Rodriguez, while the other two bouts—Irene Aldana against Macy Chiasson, which was changed to catchweight, and Johnny Walker against Ion Cutelaba—remain part of the card.
Courtesy of John Morgan, MMA Underground
How did we arrive here? Chimaev stepping on the scale so far overweight is difficult to process. He had also just engaged in a backstage fight the night prior against Holland, making this change seem also too convenient. Conspiracy theorists will have fun with this one. Chimaev walks around big, so his kidney issues could have started when started cutting weight, but there is also no doubt that the 279 card currently has much more excitement now than it did before.
Ultimately, the UFC’s job is to sell fights. These matchups make the most compelling bouts for 279. Ferguson competes with his entire being, displaying a fighting spirit that is uniquely compelling to watch every time he steps in the Octagon. He now has the chance to end his four-fight losing streak against Diaz, who claims this will be his last fight in the UFC. This is the best chance possible for Ferguson to re-enter the win column, and it should be explosive to see these two finally do battle.
Here are my updated predictions:
UFC 279 main event: Tony Ferguson vs. Nate Diaz
Pick: Tony Ferguson
UFC 279 catchweight bout: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kevin Holland
Pick: Khamzat Chimaev
UFC 279 catchweight bout: Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Pick: Daniel Rodriguez
UFC 279 catchweight bout: Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson
Pick: Irene Aldana
UFC 279 light heavyweight bout: Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba
Pick: Ion Cutelaba
Last week: 4-1
2022 record: 100-59
More MMA Coverage:
- Khamzat Chimaev Misses Weight for UFC 279 Main Event by 7.5 Pounds
- UFC 279 Press Conference Called Off After Backstage ’S— Show’
- How UFC’s Best Handle Losing, Bruising and Cruising Inside the Octagon
- White: If Diaz Is Done With the UFC, 'I Wish Him All the Best’
- Diaz Announces Intentions to Promote Combat Sports Events
