UFC 279 takes place on Saturday night, and while it is not the most stacked pay-per-view card from the promotion in 2022, it may be the most significant and emotionally charged of the year.
The UFC’s lone PPV in September is an event headlined by two of the most popular fighters in the MMA game, outside of the one and only Conor McGregor. Due to that fact, the promotion has not stuffed the card with title bouts or matchups that are highly relevant in the organization’s various divisions. Yet, despite not getting that special treatment, the event has quite a few important storylines with some historic ramifications.
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Let’s take a look at the biggest narratives heading into the Sept. 10 card inside T-Mobile Arena, and why it makes UFC 279 must-see television for MMA fans.
Nate Diaz’s UFC farewell
Nate Diaz will not go down as one of the top-five fighters in UFC history. Heck, he may not even be among the top 25 to 30, however, there is no doubt he is one of the promotion’s most beloved athletes of all time. And his legendary run with the MMA world leader is coming to an end on Saturday night. Is there a chance he could return one day? Maybe. Is it likely? Not at all.
Diaz will be competing in Las Vegas in the final fight on his contract, and the 37-year-old has not been subtle about his desire to escape the shackles of his UFC deal. In a show of his grand plans for life outside the Octagon, he even announced plans for a combat sports promotion of his own dubbed, Real Fight Inc. All drama aside, this is a moment UFC and MMA fans need to embrace and cherish.
Diaz is a singular talent and personality who is one of the few fighters where his bouts are legitimate sports happenings, win or lose. He is likely to go down, and hard, to Khamzat Chimaev on Saturday night, but there is little doubt the Stockton bad boy will go out on his shield and give fans every bit of their money’s worth once again.
If you didn’t know Khamzat Chimaev before UFC 279, you will now
UFC 279 is built to be a mainstream coming-out party for Russian crushing machine Khamzat Chimaev. “Borz” is already one of the more well-known fighters in MMA circles. However, Saturday is the UFC’s attempt at making the 28-year-old a star on the level of Diaz, McGregor, Jorge Masvidal, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. The proof is that he is in his first PPV main event, and in a very favorable matchup against a superstar talent.
Related: Khamzat Chimaev next fight: Borz is back on Saturday night
Chimaev is a massive betting favorite heading into the bout and there is no reason to expect him not to put on an impressive performance as he moves his overall record to 12-0, and unbeaten in his first six UFC bouts. But, in the event that Diaz were able to pull off a shocking upset as he did against “Notorious” in 2016, Chimaev will be a name casual MMA fans now know. Be it as the guy who put a beating on Nate Diaz, or the latest hype train the Californian derailed — and also missed weight by more than seven pounds before the fight.
Tony Ferguson’s UFC career is on the line
UFC 279 is a very important night in the career of Tony Ferguson. There is no way around it. If he doesn’t win tomorrow, for all intents and purposes, his UFC career is done. It would be a fifth straight loss, in a new weight class, and against a fighter not on the level of the former champions and title contenders “El Cucuy” fell to in his previous bouts.
Ferguson is 38, has been steamrolled during much of his losing streak, and is showing signs of a chin that is well past its breaking point. A win would be one of the biggest stories of the night. But a loss to Li Jingliang would signal that the former lightweight champion is likely finished as a UFC fighter.
Kevin Holland will have to back up all the attention he’s put on himself
Former middleweight turned welterweight Kevin Holland has put a great deal of pressure on himself heading into his bout with Daniel Rodriguez on Saturday. That is nothing new for “Trailblazer” and just the way he likes it. However, taking shots at Chimaev during his media day interview, reportedly getting into a fight with”Borz” before the Thursday press conference, and getting into a shouting match with his pal Darren Till has put a big spotlight on Holland this weekend.
Holland is the favorite and should be able to earn a third straight victory at 170-pounds — and possibly a spot in the top 15 next week. However, “D-Rod” is a very dangerous fighter and should not be underestimated. If Holland is busy mentally worrying about big-name opposition in the future, he could be on the wrong end of a surprise L and losing all the momentum he worked so hard to regain on several levels.
Johnny Walker is fighting to keep his UFC relevancy
After winning his first three bouts in the UFC with highlight-reel knockouts, Johnny Walker has lost four of his last five. The man who some thought could be the answer to light heavyweight GOAT Jon Jones is now one more loss away from being a former UFC fighter. There is no one on the card that has more pressure on them than the Brazilian. He needs to deliver or forever be viewed as another Octagon talent that was more hype than anything.
