UFC 279 Diaz vs Chimaev

7777 Sunrise Blvd, 1400,Citrus Heights CA 95610

10 September, 2022

Description

UFC 279 is headlined by two of the promotion's most beloved fighters: Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev. A prevailing sentiment going into card is that UFC president Dana White and company are feeding an old dog to a rising contender on his way out of the company. The odds reflect that with Chimaev sitting as a mammoth 11-1 favorite heading into their clash, set for Sept. 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Chimaev (11-0) blitzed into the UFC like no fighter before him. He landed a combined 112 strikes in his first four UFC fights while only absorbing a single blow. Four consecutive finishes set him up for a big leap in competition against recent welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns. Chimaev showed grit and outgunned Burns in a Fight of the Night decision win. Diaz (20-13) has repeatedly accused the promotion of handcuffing him to his contract. His submission win over Conor McGregor at UFC 196 won over fans and developed Diaz into a cult hero. However, he has repeatedly clashed with UFC brass and stalled negotiations. Diaz has only competed five times in the last six years whereas Chimaev has fought five times in two years. Other notable fighters on the card include quirky light heavyweight Johnny Walker taking on the always intense Ion Cutelaba. Ranked women's bantamweights Irene Aldana and Macy Chiasson are set to collide. Fan-favorite heavyweight Chris Barnett is also on the card.