So this is how the UFC tenure ends for Nate Diaz?
The irreverent, unpredictable and -- yes, Dana White -- definitely needle-moving star has been in the UFC since winning Season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2007, and he has been a fan favorite right from the start. He never won a championship, coming closest when he dropped a decision to then-lightweight titlist Benson Henderson in 2012. But Diaz, who has a record of 20-13, has always put on thrilling performances.
His eight Fight of the night bonuses tie Diaz with Frankie Edgar and Edson Barboza for the most in UFC history. Diaz also has pocketed five Submission of the Night bonus checks plus one apiece for Knockout of the Night and Performance of the Night.
But his UFC contract is coming to an end -- in a very interesting way. Diaz was supposed to face Khamzat Chimaev Saturday night in the main event of UFC 279 in Las Vegas, but Chimaev missed weight by 7 1/2 pounds and he was replaced by Tony Ferguson who was scheduled to face Li Jingliang in the co-main event. Diaz has said before the fight that he plans to move on from the UFC, at least for the near future.
The Diaz vs. Ferguson main card at T-Mobile Arena is on ESPN+ pay-per-view starting at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN News and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. and early prelims on ESPN+ at 6 p.m.
What are the other storylines behind the fights? How are experts breaking them down? What do the fighters have to say? Here is the fight card, how to watch it and a collection of all of the UFC 279 essentials.
UFC 279 fight card
ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET
Welterweight: Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson
Catchweight (180 pounds): Kevin Holland vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Catchweight (180 pounds)t: Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Women's catchweight (140 pounds): Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson
Light heavyweight: Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba
ESPN News/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET
Men's featherweight: Hakeem Dawodu vs. Julian Erosa
Catchweight (220 pounds): Jailton Almeida vs. Anton Turkalj
Middleweight: Jamie Pickett vs. Denis Tiuliulin
Heavyweight: Jake Collier vs. Chris Barnett
ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET
Women's featherweight: Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf
Men's bantamweight: Alatengheili vs. Chad Anheliger
Strawweight: Elise Reed vs. Melissa Martinez
Welterweight: Darian Weeks vs. Yohan Lainesse
How to watch the fights
Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
Watch the prelims on ESPN News and ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+. Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV schedule
Don't have ESPN News? Get instant access.
Purchased the fight on your phone and want to stream on your TV? Find out how here.
There's also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every UFC card.
The incredible numbers of Chimaev's star-making UFC start
Khamzat Chimaev burst on the UFC scene with a vengeance in the summer of 2020, finishing three opponents in barely two months with thoroughly dominant performances. But then he spent 13 months on the sideline, his career derailed by a difficult bout with COVID-19. Once he was healthy, he picked up right where he left off and continued his historic run.
Check out some of Chimaev's astounding numbers (courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information), beginning with his first UFC appearance.
How two years in a windowless room in a gym shaped Chimaev's dominance in the UFC
It's a Saturday morning in one of the final weeks of winter, and I'm standing in Allstars Training Center for precisely one reason. I have traveled all this way because I need to see it for myself.
I've heard the stories. It feels like everyone has, at this point. Tales of a welterweight who spars heavyweights. A dominant wrestler who has developed a knack for knocking people out with his hands. A workhorse who never gets tired. Just an absolute machine in the gym.
"It's almost become a little bit of a myth," says Allstars CEO Majdi Shammas. "The first thing any reporter asks people who have trained here is, 'Is he really that good?' Fighters will come here from around the world, and they'll immediately get a call from their friends. 'Is Khamzat really that good?' This is what's been happening."
Over his first two years in the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev was surrounded by hype nearly unprecedented. He finished all of his first four opponents, three of them inside the first round. He set a modern UFC record in 2020 by winning two fights in just 10 days. Overall, he out-landed his UFC opponents in total strikes by 254-2.
But beyond what he's done inside the Octagon, it's these stories coming out of this Swedish basement.
UFC burning questions: Is this really the end for Diaz?
Nate Diaz marches to the beat of his own drum, which is one of the many things that endear him to fans. He has long been a man who wants out of the UFC to cash in with a boxing match against a YouTuber or launch a cannabis brand or something. And the UFC sure seems ready (finally) to say goodbye to Diaz, booking him against one of the most daunting names on the roster.
If he derails the Khamzat Chimaev hype train on his way out the door, wouldn't it be the most Diaz thing ever?
The Nate you don't know -- friends share favorite stories of UFC star
The private jet taxied into its hangar in Phoenix on Sunday, shortly after 5 p.m. local time. It carried passengers who had boarded a couple of hours earlier in Stockton, California. But they've been on a long, strange trip for years.
Nate Diaz arrived for UFC 263 with friends who remember when he would show up in a bullet-riddled Honda or riding in a friend's '95 Chrysler Sebring. The mode of transportation is different these days, but Diaz is essentially the same -- the rare superstar who's been able to maintain an authenticity that keeps the bond of this team tight.
Diaz, 36, started in Brazilian jiu-jitsu when he was about 14, partly because he knew the gym would provide hot meals after sessions. Under the tutelage of the renowned Cesar Gracie, and following in the footsteps of his brother Nick Diaz, Nate evolved into a BJJ black belt, and he would become known for creative submissions and a trademark strike symbolic of his combative upbringing: the Stockton Slap. His success in the Octagon, including winning The Ultimate Fighter 5 in 2007, and his lack of pretense endeared him to a large and loyal fan base. Now he's one of the most popular fighters in the world, rubbing elbows with celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Post Malone.