The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev was expected to face Nate Diaz at welterweight in the main event of the UFC 279 event. Still, Chimaev failed to make the weight of the category; therefore, after negotiations, another experienced Tony Ferguson will fight against Diaz.
This will be the last fight in the UFC for Diaz, who has a 20-13 record with recent losses against Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards, more than six years after his memorable victory against Conor McGregor. The 37-year-old fighter ends his contract with the company.
Ferguson, who is 25-7, had lost his last four fights and has not won since mid-2019 when he defeated Donald Cerrone. He is now presented with this stellar opportunity to get his career path back: he was initially scheduled to face China’s Li Jingliang, previously beaten by Chimaev in 2021.
Following the changes that went ahead on the card to save the event, Chimaev will finally face Kevin Holland at a catchweight of 180 pounds, while Jingliang will fight Daniel Rodriguez. He was going to be Holland’s opponent.
The Sporting News has a complete rundown of UFC 279, including the schedule, matchups, start times and more for Tony Ferguson vs Nate Diaz and the entire matchcard.
When is UFC 279 with Tony Ferguson vs Nate Diaz?
- Day: Saturday September 10.
- FIGHT PASS Prelims Schedule : 5:15 PM CDMX, 6:15 PM Eastern US, 7:15 PM Argentina, 12:15 AM Spain (Sunday).
- Preliminary hours: 7:00 p.m. from CDMX, 8:00 p.m. from Eastern United States, 9:00 p.m. from Argentina, 2:00 a.m. from Spain (Sunday).
- Main Evening Hours: CDMX 9:00 PM, US Eastern 10:00 PM, Argentina 11:00 PM, Spain 4:00 AM (Sunday).
- Approximate schedule of Ferguson vs. Diaz: 23:15 CDMX, 00:15 Eastern United States (Sunday), 1:15 Argentina (Sunday), 6:15 Spain (Sunday).
Where and how to watch UFC 279: Tony Ferguson vs Nate Diaz? TV channels and online streaming
- TV channels
- Mexico: Fox Sports Premium.
- Spain: Eurosport.
- Argentina: Fox Sports 2 (only preliminaries).
- United States: ESPN and ESPN Deportes (prelims only).
- streaming
- Argentina and the rest of Latin America except Chile and Mexico: Star+.
- Mexico: ESPN+
- United States: ESPN+ (with $74.99 pay-per-view for the main card) .
- Spain: Eurosport App
PPV price for Tony Ferguson vs Nate Diaz: How much does UFC 279 cost in the United States?
- $74.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $99.98 (new subscribers)
In the United States, the main card of UFC 279 is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The price of the UFC 279 PPV is $74.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a $99.98 package for UFC 278 pay-per-view and an annual subscription to ESPN+, saving over 30%.
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| Annual subscription to ESPN+ | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle with Hulu and Ads | $13.99/month |
| The Disney bundle with Hulu without ads | $19.99/month |
| independent UFC pay-per-view | $74.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV and ESPN+ Annual) | $99.98, then $69.99/year |
| UFC PPV and the Disney package | $88.98, then $13.99/month |