New UFC 279 official lineup: Tony Ferguson vs. Nate Diaz, Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kevin Holland

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Just as the top of the UFC 279 main card appeared to be in jeopardy after a botched weight cut, some fights were shifted around and we now have a new official lineup for the PPV event.

The new marquee matchup for UFC 279 will Nate Diaz taking on fellow OG legend Tony Ferguson in a five round affair. This is a matchup that fans have been clamoring for, and one we thought we’d never get a chance to see. Well, here it is, and click right here for the odds.

As for as the co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev will be throwing down with Kevin Holland, and this will also be a five-round fight. This matchup is particularly intriguing due to their extracurricular activities that resulted in the UFC 279 press conferences being cancelled. Chimaev weighed in at 178.5, which is way too heavy to compete at welterweight, but actually perfect to go up against Holland — who clocked in at 179.5 for a catchweight tilt with Daniel Rodriguez.

The arrangement of the main and co-main would have left Jingliang Li and Daniel Rodriguez without a scrap, but the matchmakers were able to strike a deal and pit them against one another. Both of these guys love to bang it out, so this could actually end up being quite the thriller despite them weighing in almost 10 pounds apart for the respective bouts they were supposed to compete in.

UFC 279 has been saved.

ESPN+ PPV MAIN CARD
Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson
Khamzat Chiamev vs. Kevin Holland
Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson
Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba

ESPNNEWS/ESPN/ESPN+ PRELIMS
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Julian Erosa
Jailton Almeida vs. Anton Turkalj
Denis Tiuliulin vs. Jamie Pickett
Jake Collier vs. Chris Barnett

UFC FightPass/ESPN/ESPN+ EARLY PRELIMS
Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf
Chad Anheliger vs. Alateng Heili
Melissa Martinez vs. Elise Reed
Darian Weeks vs. Yohan Lainesse

UPDATE:

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CHAMPIONSHIP TRILOGY! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to The O2 in London England, on Sat., March 18, 2023, with newly-minted Welterweight kingpin, Leon Edwards, running it back with former 170-pound champion, Kamaru Usman, for a third (and likely final) time. In UFC 286’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, all-action Lightweight knockout artists, Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev, will lock horns with the winner inching closer to a future Lightweight title shot.

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About the author

Eddie Mercado

Eddie Mercado is a writer and content creator for Bloody Elbow, and has covered combat sports since 2015. Eddie covers everything from betting odds and live events, to fighter interviews and co-hosting the 6th Round post-fight show and the 6th Round Retro. He retired at 1-0 in professional MMA, competed in one Muay Thai match in Thailand, and is currently a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu under the great Diego Bispo.