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LAS VEGAS — When Friday ended, the UFC 279 essential card was fully totally different than the one scheduled when the day started.
In an unprecedented flip of occasions, the highest three fights set for Saturday evening at T-Cellular Enviornment have been all altered by Friday night, a sequence response set off by once-headliner Khamzat Chimaev lacking weight by 7.5 kilos. Nate Diaz, Chimaev’s anticipated opponent in the primary occasion, declined to battle somebody who missed weight so badly, moderately understandably.
The UFC, led by chief enterprise officer Hunter Campbell and president Dana White, scrambled to reshape the largest bouts till late afternoon native time. The tip consequence? Diaz will now meet Tony Ferguson within the welterweight UFC 279 essential occasion. Within the co-main occasion, Chimaev will tackle Kevin Holland at a 180-pound catchweight. Each bouts might be 5 rounds.
Diaz (20-13) is likely one of the hottest fighters on the UFC roster. The California native goes into the ultimate battle on his UFC contract and has indicated this will be his final fight in the UFC, at least for now. Diaz, 37, has misplaced three of 4, however practically knocked out Leon Edwards — who’s now the UFC welterweight champion — in his most up-to-date battle in June 2021.
Ferguson (25-7) has dropped 4 in a row, most not too long ago a knockout loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 274 in Might. The California native is a former UFC interim light-weight champion. Ferguson, 38, gained 12 straight fights from 2013 to 2019, tied for the UFC light-weight file streak with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Chimaev (11-0), a rising star, was an amazing favourite towards Diaz and the primary occasion was set to be a showcase of his abilities earlier than he brought about the drama by lacking weight by a lot. The 28-year-old Chechen fighter, who trains in Sweden, is 5-0 within the UFC with 4 finishes. Holland (23-7, 1 NC), a 29-year-old Texan, is unbeaten in three straight fights.
Additionally on the cardboard, Ferguson’s authentic opponent, Li Jingliang, will meet Daniel Rodriguez, who initially was anticipated to face Holland. Plus, Irene Aldana and Macy Chiasson meet in a 140-pound catchweight bout and Johnny Walker and Ion Cutelaba conflict in a battle of sunshine heavyweights.
Welterweight: Nate Diaz (21-13, 15-11 UFC, +105) vs. Tony Ferguson (26-7, 15-5 UFC, -125)
Catchweight (180 kilos): Khamzat Chimaev (11-0, 5-0 UFC, -550) vs. Kevin Holland (23-7 1 NC, 10-4 1 NC UFC, +400)
Catchweight (180 kilos): Li Jingliang (19-7, 11-5 UFC, +130) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (16-2, 6-1 UFC, -155)
Girls’s catchweight (140 kilos): Irene Aldana (13-6, 6-4 UFC, -180) vs. Macy Chiasson (9-2, 6-2 UFC, +155)
Mild heavyweight: Johnny Walker (18-7, 4-4 UFC +180) vs. Ion Cutelaba (16-7-1 1 NC, 5-6-1 UFC, -220)
Males’s featherweight: Hakeem Dawodu (13-2-1, 6-2 UFC, -220) vs. Julian Erosa (27-10, 5-5 UFC, +180)
Catchweight (220 kilos): Jailton Almeida (16-2, -700) vs. Anton Turkalj (8-0, +500)
Middleweight: Jamie Pickett (13-7, 2-3 UFC, -135) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (10-6, 0-1 UFC, +115)
Heavyweight: Jake Collier (13-7, 5-6 UFC, -470) vs. Chris Barnett (22-8, 1-2 UFC, +360)
Girls’s featherweight: Norma Dumont (7-2, 3-2 UFC, -410) vs. Danyelle Wolf (1-0, 0-0 UFC, +320)
Males’s bantamweight: Alatengheili (15-8-2, 3-1-1 UFC, -165) vs. Chad Anheliger (12-5, 1-0 UFC, +140)
Strawweight: Elise Reed (5-2, 1-2 UFC, +145) vs. Melissa Martinez (7-0, 0-0 UFC, -170)
Welterweight: Darian Weeks (5-2, 0-2 UFC, -125) vs. Yohan Lainesse (8-1, 0-1 UFC, +105)