LAS VEGAS – Facts UFC 279 The main scheduled event is in jeopardy after participants Khamzat Chimaev missed the 7.5-pound weight Friday morning at UFC Apex.
Chimaev and Nate Diaz was signed to a welterweight title fight titled UFC 279 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. The unrestricted weight limit is 171 pounds, and Chimaev weighs 178.5 pounds. Diaz is 171 pounds.
As of Friday afternoon, the state of the biggest fight on pay-per-view cards was already perilous.
To complicate matters further, this is supposed to be the final fight in the fan-favorite Diaz UFC contract, and he will be a free agent after this weekend. It is unclear what will happen under the contract if Diaz, 37, does not fight on Saturday.
Chimaev, 28, is one of the UFC’s biggest rising stars and is loved by -1000 people, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Basically, the UFC booked this fight so that Chimaev had a duel with a big star in Diaz, where he was supposed to win.
Chimaev has had a strange week. He had a verbal argument with middleweight Paulo Costa on Wednesday at the UFC Performing Institute and Thursday, before the UFC 279 press conference, Chimaev had a skirmish with Kevin Hollandwho has a UFC 279 card and is scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez. Chimaev kicked the Dutch during the war. The final press conference was cancelled.
As Chimaev weighed on Friday morning, he shrugged and appeared unafraid of the big miss. He then posted a meme joking about being underweight on Twitter.
The event’s co-main fighters all added weight to UFC 279. Tony Ferguson and Li Jingliang each weighs 170.5. The Netherlands is 179.5 pounds and Rodriguez is 179 for their 180-pound lightweight bout.
