A bizarre turn of events concluded with Nate Diaz having his hand raised at the main event of UFC 279.
Diaz, who was originally scheduled to fight Khamzat Chimaev, faced fellow cage veteran Tony Ferguson. The Stockton native showed off his tremendous grappling skills by making Ferguson tap out in the fourth round.
The 37-year-old then confirmed the rumblings of his exit from the UFC by announcing that he’s going to pursue a career in a different organization, and even hinted at the possibility of entering an entirely different sport.
In the co-main event, Chimaev made short work of his rival Kevin Holland. Before the UFC 279 card was reshuffled, an altercation between the pair led to a massive backstage brawl.
Incidentally, they were given the chance to settle their differences in the cage when they were paired up due to Chimaev’s weight miss. In the end, ‘Borz’s’ wrestling prowess proved to be too overwhelming for ‘The Trailblazer.’ The Chechen-born Swede snagged a submission victory in the opening round, improving to 12-0.
Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez was the third and final matchup created due to Chimaev’s weight mismanagement. After three rounds of catchweight action, Rodriguez earned a controversial split decision with over ‘The Leech.’
In a women’s catchweight bout, Irene Aldana showcased how predictable MMA can be. The Mexican fighter caught Macy Chiasson with a heel to the liver on an upkick, which led to a TKO win.
Finally, a UFC light heavyweight bout between Johnny Walker and Ion Cutelaba kicked off the pay-per-view portion of the card. Looking resurgent after back-to-back losses, Walker defeated Cutelaba with a rear-naked choke in round one.
UFC 279 card and results
Main Card
Nate Diaz def. Tony Ferguson via fourth-round submission (guillotine choke)
Khamzat Chimaev def. Kevin Holland via first-round submission (D’Arce choke)
Daniel Rodriguez def. Li Jingliang via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Irene Aldana def. Macy Chiasson via third-round TKO (upkick)
Johnny Walker def. Ion Cutelaba via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Preliminary Card
Julian Erosa def. Hakeem Dawodu via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jailton Almeida def. Anton Turkalj via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Denis Tiuliulin def. Jamie Pickett via second-round TKO (punches)
Chris Barnett def. Jake Collier via second-round TKO (punches)
Norma Dumont def. Danyelle Wolf via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Alatengheili def. Chad Anheliger via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Elise Reed def. Melissa Martinez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Yohan Lainesse def. Darian Weeks via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
