UFC 279 fight card primer: Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson

Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

The main event of UFC 279 will feature a welterweight fight between Nate Diaz (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) and Tony Ferguson (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC). UFC 279: Diaz vs. Ferguson airs live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday, September 10th. The main PPV card will start with a fight time of 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT, with the ESPNNEWS/ESPN+ featured prelims beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT and the UFC Fight Pass early prelims kicking off at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT.

How do these two stack up?

Diaz: 37 years old | 6’0” | 76” reach

Ferguson: 38 years old | 6’0” | 76.5” reach

What have these two done recently?

Diaz: L – Leon Edwards (DEC) | L – Jorge Masvidal (TKO) | W – Anthony Pettis (DEC)

Ferguson: L – Michael Chandler (KO) | L – Beneil Dariush (DEC) | L – Charles Oliveira (DEC)

How did these two get here?

In perhaps one of the most chaotic weeks in UFC history, we are getting a fight that should have happened years ago: Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson.

On the final fight of his UFC contract, Diaz was supposed to share the Octagon with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279 — a booking that was equal parts confusing and intriguing. However, because Chimaev weighed in seven-and-a-half pounds over the welterweight limit, the pay-per-view event underwent some serious changes on a few hours’ notice and gave us three new fights, including Diaz vs. Ferguson.

The Stockton native is 0-2 in his past two fights, but in usual Diaz fashion, he has stolen the show. From competing for a symbolic belt to nearly snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against Leon Edwards (the newly crowned UFC welterweight champion, by the way), Diaz has shown time and time again why he continues to be one of the biggest draws in the promotion.

The same can be said about Ferguson, who puts on a show each and every time he sets foot in the cage. Sure, ‘El Cucuy’ is on a career-worst four-fight losing streak, but he still shows up and shows out against whoever is in front of him. Expect the same when he meets Diaz on Saturday night.

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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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Why should you care?

Diaz and Ferguson are two UFC legends. This is going to be one hell of a fight!

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About the author

Kristen King

Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016, getting her start with outlets such as FanSided, MyMMANews and MMA-Prospects. She joined the BE team in 2020, covering a mix of news, events and injuries. In her time with BE, Kristen has created ‘Fright of the Night,’ a series that highlights some of the worst injuries in the sport.