UFC 279: Khamzat Chimaev vs Kevin Holland, Nate Diaz vs Tony Ferguson: how to watch online and on TV this weekend
UFC 279 has been completely switched around after Chimaev missed weight, but the new match-ups are worth tuning in for. Here’s how to follow all the MMA action.
MMA fighters were looking forward to a matchup on Saturday night in the T-Mobile Arena (Paradise, Nevada) between two of UFC’s most exciting and most popular fighters, undefeated Khamzat Chimaev of Sweden and Nate Diaz from California, with Tony Ferguson facing Li Jingliang at welterweight and Kevin Holland squaring off against Daniel Rodriguez at a catchweight of 180 pounds also at the top of the card.
However, things all changed when Chimaev sent the scales spinning a full 7.5 pounds over the limit of 171, weighing in officially at 178.5 pounds. Nate Diaz, who was already in no way keen for this fight, took one look at the Chimaev’s weight and said there was no way he was fighting. Notably Chimaev appeared to be entirely unbothered by being so overweight, merely shrugging his shoulders at the weight.
Chimaez was heavily favoured to win the bout, being a -1000 favorite over Diaz, with the American likely to head into retirement after Saturday night. The 37-year-old is on the last fight of his UFC contract.
Diaz is presumably delighted by the turn of events as he had earlier asked to be released from the UFC because he said he was not being given the fights that he wanted. He said that he didn’t want this upcoming fight, and that he views it as simply a way to give Chimaev more prestige.
UFC scambles to rejig card for Saturday night
Once the Khamzat Chimaev vs Nate Diaz fight was off, UFC organisers started talking to all six camps to see if there was a possibility of arranging three new fights. And they got there, meaning the top of the UFC 279 card looks as follows:
Nate Diaz will take on Tony Ferguson in a welterweight bout
Khamzat Chimaev fights Kevin Holland at a catchweight of 180 pounds
Li Jingliang goes toe-to-toe with Daniel Rodriguez
How to watch UFC 279. Nate Diaz vs Tony Ferguson and Khamzat Chimaev vs Kevin Holland
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022
- Time: PPV main card 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
- Main event cage walk: 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT (approximately)
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
- TV and live stream: ESPN+ PPV
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UFC 279 Nate Diaz vs Tony Ferguson and Khamzat Chimaev vs Kevin Holland
Main card
| FIGHTERS | DIVISION |
|---|---|
| Nate Diaz vs Tony Ferguson | Welterweight |
| Khamzat Chimaev vs Kevin Holland (co-main) vs. Tony Ferguson | Catchweight 180lb |
| Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez | Catchweight 180 lb |
| Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson | Women’s bantamweight |
| Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba | Light heavyweight |
Prelims
| FIGHTERS | DIVISION |
|---|---|
| Hakeem Dawodu vs. Julian Erosa | Featherweight |
| Denis Tiuliulin vs. Jamie Pickett | Middleweight |
| Jake Collier vs. Chris Barnett | Heavyweight |
Early prelims
| FIGHTERS | DIVISION |
|---|---|
| Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf | Women’s featherweight |
| Chad Anheliger vs. Alateng Heili | Bantamweight |
| Melissa Martinez vs. Elise Reed | Women’s strawweight |
| Darian Weeks vs. Yohan Lainesse | Welterweight |