UFC 279 Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson: Start Times, How to Watch, Weigh-In Chaos

Well that was weird. Where do we even start?

Let’s start with Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev. That was the fight that was supposed to headline UFC 279. But Chimaev missed weight massively, coming in 7.5 pounds over the 171 limit. In order to save the card, the UFC had to rearrange the entire main card. 

Read More: How to Get ESPN Plus for UFC 279

After negotiations between the fighters, there’s a new main event. And one that, bizarrely, makes a lot more sense.

Instead of being outmatched by Chimaev, Nate Diaz is now facing off against fellow UFC legend Tony Ferguson. 

Chimaev is now fighting Kevin Holland at a 179 pound catch weight in the co-main event. Considering these two have been circling each other, sending jibes each others way for months, this fight also makes a lot of sense?

Li Jingliang, who was initially going to fight Tony Ferguson, is now facing off against Holland’s old opponent, Daniel Rodriguez.

In short we’ve gone from…

To…

Probably the biggest loser here is Li Jingliang, who has gone from a prestige co-main event with a legend in Tony Ferguson, to a really tough fight with a bigger man in Daniel Rodriguez.

But the card is alive.

Press conference canceled?

It’s been a chaotic few days. Before the weigh-in chaos, UFC President Dana White  was forced to canceled the UFC 279 press conference at the very last minute, after a huge scuffle backstage featuring Chimaev and Kevin Holland, another fighter on the undercard.

The pair had been arguing back and forth before things got physical between them. Reportedly, members of Diaz’s entourage also got involved, with bottles being thrown. 

MMA reporter Ariel Helwani has the full story.

All par for the course with a Diaz fight.

UFC 279 Start time

The UFC 279 main card starts at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on Sept. 10. Here are all the details from multiple time zones.

US

UK

Australia

How to watch UFC 279

The UFC now has a partnership with ESPN. That’s great news for the UFC and the expansion of the sport of MMA, but bad news for consumer choice. Especially if you’re one of the UFC fans who want to watch UFC in the US.

In the US, if you want to know how to watch UFC 279, you’ll only find the fight night on pay per view through ESPN Plus. The cost structure is a bit confusing, but here are the options to watch UFC on ESPN, according to ESPN’s site:

You can do all of the above at the link below.

MMA fans in the UK can watch UFC 278 exclusively through BT Sport.

There are more options if you live in Australia. You can watch UFC 278 through Main Event on Foxtel. You can also stream via Kayo for AU$55. You can even order using your PlayStation or using the UFC app on your Xbox.

Need more international viewing options? Try a VPN to change your IP address to access those US, UK or Australian options listed above. See the best VPNs recommended by CNET editors.

Full fight card

As always, these cards are subject to change.

Main PPV card

Prelims

Early prelims