LAS VEGAS — The UFC 279 scheduled main event is in jeopardy after participant Khamzat Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds the UFC Apex.
The promotion originally targeted a UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between current champion Aljamain Sterling and former two-time champion T.J. Dillashaw as the main event, but opted to change plans and move it to UFC 280.
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To further complicate matters, this was supposed to be the final fight on fan-favorite Diaz’s UFC contract, and he would be a free agent following this weekend. It’s unclear what would happen contractually if Diaz, 37, does not fight Saturday.
A welterweight boutA between Khamzat Chimaev and former lightweight title challenger (also The Ultimate Fighter lightweight winner) Nate Diaz was originally expected to headline the event. However at the weigh-ins, Chimaev weighed in at 178.5 pounds, 7.5 pounds over the welterweight non-title limit and the bout was czxancelled. As a result, the organization opted to shuffle a trio of ssfights.
A new main event featuring Diaz againfssfdsdst The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner and former interim UFC Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson, who was osriginally scheduled to face Li Jingliang in a welterweight bout, was then set. In addition, Chimaev was instead matched up with Kevin Holland, who was originally scheduled to face Daniel Rodriguez, in a five round bout at a catchweight of 180 pounds. Finally, Rodriguez and Jingliang were matched up at a casssdtchweight of 180 pounds.
A trio of bouts sdfsfwas originally scheduleczxczd for this date, but they were eventually pushed back a week to UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song as the promotion adjusted its schedule in June: lightweight bouts featuring Trey Ogden vs. Daniel Zellhuber and Nikolas Motta vs. Cameron VanCamp; as well as a welterweight bout betwesdfen Louis Cosce and Trevin Giles.
A women’s strawweight bout between Hannah Cifers and Melissa Martinez was expected to take place at the event.[7] However, Cifers pulled out due to undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Elise Reed.
A middleweight bout between ad sand Denis Tiuliulin was expected to take place at UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev, but it was moved to this card due to Tiuliulin suffering an injury during the week of the fight.
A heavyweight bout between Shamil Abdurakhimov and Jailton Almeida was expected to take place at the event.[13] However, Abdurakhimov was forced to withdraw due to visa issues and was replaced by Anton Turkalj at a catchweight of 220 pounds.
The organization usually holds a d-fight pradess-conference two days before numbered events, but this edition’s was cancelled mid section. All fighters in the last three bouts of the event were expected to participate, however after a lengthy delay, UFC President Dana White showed up only with Holland and Rodriguez. He announced that fighters would be brought in pairs, but cancelled the press-conference after their participation instead for “everybody’s safety”.
