UFC

It started as a 'total disaster' – and ended with a UFC 279 fight card somehow even better than originally slated. As if that wasn't enough, a crazy day ...

As the crowd continued to roar with disapproval, he screamed: “Hey, this is Chechnya motherf***ers. I don’t know, I wanted more cutting that s***.” I come here to f*** everybody. Asked about his failed weight cut, he replied: “They (doctors) stopped that s**t. He added that he didn’t care about the opponent swap, declaring: “I don’t care. I f***ed him backstage as well. I wanna smash everybody. As if that wasn’t enough, a crazy day became even more unhinged in an all-time spray from some of the organisation’s biggest stars. Nate Diaz will fight fellow fan favourite Tony Ferguson. They’re not gangsters. All these guys claiming they’re gangsters. [forcing the UFC to scrap the main bout and hastily rearrange three new fights.](https://www.foxsports.com.au/ufc/ufc-279-khamzat-chimaev-misses-weight-backstage-fight-nate-diaz-kevin-holland-new-fights-full-card-dustin-poirier/news-story/0ff7234abcdd76d6281b224763280751)

Welcome to Octagon Oracle. This week, it's all about UFC 279 predictions, betting odds, & armchair analysis. Enjoy the hostilities!

Read: a little more durable (for the time being). [$7.50 for the victory on BossBet](https://bossbet.com.au/sports/martial-arts-ufc/ultimate-fighting-championship-1000104/ultimate-fighting-championship-men-1002449/chimaev-k-v-diaz-nate-1108471). [Octagon Oracle](https://www.bosshunting.com.au/tag/octagon-oracle/). Following the idea of experience making a difference re: Kevin Holland vs Daniel Rodriguez, we believe it’ll be the same case with Irene Aldana vs Macy Chiasson. Granted, Johnny Walker is in the midst of curbing yet another two-fight skid. One of the drawbacks for those accustomed to securing the finish in Round 1 (early Round 2 on a bad day). Li Jingliang is the younger man by a few years with far less mileage on the metaphorical dash. On paper, however, Daniel Rodriguez appears to have the better record. You know the saying: Nate Diaz doesn’t lose, he just [runs out of time](https://youtu.be/jD-vCU31y00?t=1608). [Dustin Poirier] or [Michael Chandler], the best of the best.” Nate Diaz claimed in an interview with The wolf, in this case, being the UFC’s undefeated rising star Khamzat Chimaev, who has showcased overwhelming dominance throughout his ascension upwards; and recently survived his first real test during a three-round slugfest against Gilbert Burns. That is with the exception of being given the go-ahead for the Conor McGregor duology, which obviously entailed hefty paydays, though not much else beyond that.

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."

Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole interviews Dana White ahead of Saturday's UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC president talks Nate Diaz's rise in the UFC ...

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Nate Diaz will take on fellow veteran welterweight Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 after Khamzat Chimaev missed the weight for his main-event showdown with Diaz.

There was controversy in the build-up to the event as Thursday's news conference was abandoned after trouble backstage, with Chimaev and Holland getting into an altercation followed by a row between Chimaev and the Diaz entourage. With Diaz and Ferguson now set to clash, Chimaev will take on Kevin Holland at a 81.6kg catchweight, while Li will take on another Californian in Daniel Rodriguez. Fighting in the last bout of his UFC contract, the 37-year-old Diaz weighed in at 77.5kg, as did Ferguson who was due to meet Chinese fighter Li Jingliang in the co-main event.

Barnett was the final fighter to weigh in for the UFC 279 card and was one of FIVE fighters who failed to make the limit for the card in Las Vegas.

Training wise I would get maybe a good two hours in a day and then I was in the hospital the entire time. She went to the hospital, on February 8 and was in the hospital until May 10. [who is the second heavyweight in UFC history to weigh over 266lb](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/mma/ufc-heavyweight-fighter-fails-make-25729462), revealed earlier this week that he went into his previous fight in April knowing his wife was suffering from encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. He was the FIFTH fighter to fail to make weight with headline act Khamzat Chimaev the most high-profile, coming in 7.5lb heavy for his clash with Nate Diaz. He lost his bout against Martin Buday when he was unable to continue after an unintentional elbow to the back of his head. Barnett was the last fighter to step on the scales with just 10 minutes remaining of Friday's two-hour window.

The star welterweight's status for his upcoming clash with Nate Diaz is jeopardy heading into Saturday night.

Barring a change in Chimaev’s status, UFC is reportedly already preparing a backup plan and “working to finalize it, though it involves multiple parties agreeing to a change in circumstances,” The undefeated welterweight stepped on the scale for official weigh-ins Friday and weighed in at 178.5 pounds, 8.5 pounds over the contracted weight of 170 pounds. The main event for Saturday’s UFC 279 is in jeopardy after Khamzat Chimaev failed to make weight ahead of his anticipated clash with Nate Diaz.

Nate Diaz will fight fellow fan favourite Tony Ferguson over five rounds. Chimaev will fight Kevin Holland - having kicked him in the chest at yesterday's press ...

Chimaev was, as usual, given an extra hour to try to make weight but did not attempt it given how far off the limit he was. The fight will be a five-round co-main event. As the crowd continued to roar with disapproval, he screamed: “Hey, this is Chechnya motherf***ers. Chimaev will fight Kevin Holland - having kicked him in the chest at yesterday’s press-conference - in another five-round co-main event. I come here to f*** everybody. Asked about his failed weight cut, he replied: “They (doctors) stopped that s**t. I don’t know, I wanted more cutting that s***.” I f***ed him backstage as well. I wanna smash everybody. The headline welterweight bout was subsequently scrapped. All these guys claiming they’re gangsters. “It’s been a hell of a night and a hell of a morning here,” UFC boss Dana White began his announcement of the new card.

Khamzat Chimaev's mouthing off, backstage brawling, and coming in underweight has UFC 279's main event in limbo.

The proposed changes to Saturday’s UFC card haven’t been announced by the company as of late Friday afternoon. That led to drastic changes being proposed to the card. Switching an entire card the day before fights is unprecedented as fight camps specialize for weeks on opponents’ tendencies and how to stop specific fighting styles like jiu-jitsu and kickboxing.

When White awakened on Friday, the main event was a welterweight bout between Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev. Tony Ferguson was scheduled to meet Li Jingliang in ...

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Khamzat Chimaev missed weight by more than seven pounds on Friday, putting his welterweight bout with Nate Diaz in serious jeopardy ahead of UFC 279 on ...

Holland was 179.5 pounds and Rodriguez was 179 for their 180-pound catchweight bout. The news conference was ultimately canceled. Chimaev kicked Holland during the fight. Chimaev, 28, is one of the UFC's biggest rising stars and was a -1000 favorite, per Caesars Sportsbook. It's unclear what would happen contractually if Diaz, 37, does not fight Saturday. Diaz was 171 pounds.

UFC 279 has made drastic last-minute changes to the main event after a bizarre scramble to rematch fighters.

because everyone was dealing with the other thing, and once it all started erupting it was a complete sh**tshow.” At your service just like the hotel staff bro.” Holland wrote on a Twitter post, referring to Chimaev’s beard. Let me tell you this is the right decision not to do this press conference right now.” This has never happened in the history of this company. I offered that clown a free beard trim.

The major changes comes just hours after Chimaev weighed in 7.5 pounds over the contracted weight for his headlining bout against Diaz.

His surprising weigh-in came only moments after Diaz weighed in at 171 pounds, the maximum limit for both fighters given the extra pound UFC allows for non-title fights. White announced on Instagram that the new main event for Saturday’s event in Las Vegas will now feature a welterweight bout between Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson after Chimaev, Diaz’s original opponent, weighed in at 178.5 pounds, 7.5 pounds over the contracted weight of 170 pounds. Additionally, the shakeup created a new match between Holland and Ferguson’s previously scheduled opponents as Daniel Rodriguez (16–2, 179 pounds) and Li Jinglian (19–7, 170.5 pounds) will square off in a three-round 180-pound catchweight bout.