Nothing about the UFC 279 main event was what it was supposed to be. Nothing, that is, except for the fight between Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson serving as perhaps the perfect swan song for the always defiant Stockton, Calif. native as he wrapped up his UFC contract. with a fourth-round submission win.
Ferguson came out of the opening moments with a heavy leg kicking attack. One of the first kicks he threw in the fight resulted in his shin colliding with Diaz’s, immediately opening a cut on Ferguson’s shin that would continue to bleed for the rest of the fight. These kicks continued to land throughout the fight, leading Diaz’s front leg to bruise and swell.
Despite taking heavy damage, Diaz continued to try to stalk Ferguson and throw combinations and hard left hands when he was able to get close or bring Ferguson back into the cage.
Even though Diaz had success, Ferguson continued to land hard kicks. Eventually, Diaz looked frustrated with the incoming damage and he began to walk around the outside of the cage, shaking his head as the referee demanded that he recommit to the fight.
Diaz would do it, letting his hands go more and scoring Ferguson with combinations.
In the fourth round, Ferguson looked for a takedown, a move his corner had requested in the previous two rounds. That decision proved to be Ferguson’s undoing as Diaz quickly locked in a guillotine choke and squeezed until Ferguson was forced to tap out at 2:52 into the round.
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“Full-fledged wrestling fight camp,” Diaz said after the fight, explaining he was ready to defend takedown attempts with the choke. “I didn’t do boxing. So, we made that happen.”
Diaz, who confirmed he would be looking for opportunities outside the Octagon with his contract now fulfilled, then addressed Khamzat Chimaev, the man he was supposed to face in the main event. Chimaev suffered a serious weight loss on Friday, forcing the UFC to shuffle three fights into three new matchups.
“I was like, he’s such a slutty rookie,” Diaz said. “I don’t even care about a rookie whore.”
The loss was Ferguson’s fifth straight defeat and the third time he’s finished in that streak. The losing skid is a stark contrast to 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.
Originally slated to face Li Jingliang in a three-round bout, who was Ferguson’s first welterweight, he agreed to the move to the five-round main event on Friday.
Diaz broke his own two-fight losing skid and said he was now ready to return to another sport, possibly hinting at a desire to meet social media star Jake Paul in the boxing ring after Paul fought UFC legend Anderson Silva in October.
“All I know is it’s been a love-hate relationship with the UFC ever since I’ve been in this fucking business,” Diaz said. “But I love the UFC. … I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show all these UFC fighters how to take control and own another sport. How you’re supposed to. Conor McGregor n I don’t know how to do it. None of these other fighters know how to do it. I’m gonna go out there, take up another profession and become the best at it. Show everyone that I’m the best at it. this area and then I’m gonna be back to get a fucking UFC title.”
Elsewhere on the card, Diaz’s original opponent Khamzat Chimaev recalled his impending dominance with a first-round submission from Kevin Holland. Chimaev, who dropped 7.5 pounds in weight on Friday and prompted the card’s complete overhaul, was unapologetic in his post-fight interview and still intends to challenge for the U.S. title. welterweight next.
CBS Sports was with you the whole way Saturday bringing you all the results and highlights from UFC 279 below.
UFC 279 card and results
- Nate Diaz won. Tony Ferguson via fourth-round submission (guillotine choke)
- Khamzat Chimaev defeated. Kevin Holland via first-round submission (D’Arce choke)
- Daniel Rodriguez beats. Li Jingliang via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Irene Aldana defeats. Macy Chiasson via third-round TKO (upkick)
- Johnny Walker beats. Ion Cutelaba via first-round submission (rear naked choke)
- Julian Erosa beats. Hakeem Dawodu by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jailton Almeida defeated. Anton Turkalj via first-round submission (rear naked choke)
- Denis Tiuliulin defeated. Jamie Pickett via second-round TKO (punches)
- Chris Barnett won. Jake Necklace via second-round TKO (punches)
- Norma Dumont beats. Danyelle Wolf by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
- Alatengheili beats. Chad Anheliger via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Elise Reed beats. Melissa Martinez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Yohan Lainesse beats. Darian Weeks via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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