UFC 279 Weigh-in Results: Khamzat Chimaev Weight Miss Forces Changes to Main Card

Editor's note: The article has been updated at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday to add additional information.

Khamzat Chimaev has fumbled the biggest opportunity of his career.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship was slated to return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a highly anticipated welterweight clash between Chimaev and Nate Diaz, but that has now changed. Weight concerns plagued many competitors ahead of UFC 279, and even though only three officially missed weight, one of the most important players tipped the scales way over the limit. As a result, the final three bouts of the evening have changed, with new matchups in each. Now, Diaz will fight in the five-round main event against Tony Ferguson.

Despite losing his last two fights, and with his last win coming in 2019, Diaz (20-13) finds himself in another pay-per-view main event. The fan-favorite fighter from Stockton, Calif., is on the last fight of his UFC contract and will look to ride into free agency against a new opponent that appears to be a significantly more favorable matchup. The 37-year-old veteran weighed 171 pounds for potentially his final fight inside the Octagon, fist-bumping a commission member as he stepped to the scale.

Ferguson finds himself elevated to the main event slot on extremely short notice, stepping into this five-round affair with a new opponent in Diaz on Friday. Like Diaz, Ferguson has struggled as of late, with four straight losses row dating back to 2020. His previous 12-fight win streak came crashing to a halt in UFC 249, when Justin Gaethje knocked him out to claim the interim strap. Before that loss, his winning stretch included a victory to briefly claim interim 155-pound belt. Ferguson, who was initially booked against Jingliang Li, weighed 171 pounds for the unexpected headlining opportunity.

On Friday morning, the promotion elected to shift the bantamweight match between Irene Aldana (137.5) and Macy Chiasson (139.5) into a 140-pound catchweight due to the weight issues for both women. This adds to the other catchweight contests at the event, with Kevin Holland (179.5) vs. Chimaev (178.5) coming together at 180 pounds, and the new tilt between Jingliang Li and Daniel Rodriguez (179) also at the 180-pound limit. Finally, the Jailton Almeida (216.5) scrap with Anton Turkalj (214) is booked at 220 pounds.

Two additional fighters missed weight: Hakeem Dawodu (149.5) clocked in 3.5 pounds above the featherweight cap ahead of his preliminary collision with Julian Erosa (146). Also of note, Chris Barnett (267.5) is the second heavyweight in UFC history to miss weight, coming in 1.5 pounds over the heavyweight limit. Dawodu has been fined 30% of his purse, while Barnett's fine has been assessed at 20% of his purse.

The UFC 279 main card will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday. The early prelims begin on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, before moving to ESPN+ and ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

UFC 279 Weigh-in Results:

Nate Diaz (171) vs. Tony Ferguson (171)
Khamzat Chimaev (178.5)* vs. Kevin Holland (179.5)**
Jingliang Li (170.5) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (179)**
Irene Aldana (137.5) vs. Macy Chiasson (139.5)***
Ion Cutelaba (205.5) vs. Johnny Walker (205)
Hakeem Dawodu (149.5)^ vs. Julian Erosa (146)
Jailton Almeida (216.5) vs. Anton Turkalj (214)^^
Jamie Pickett (185.5) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (186)
Chris Barnett (267.5)# vs. Jake Collier (265)
Norma Dumont (146) vs. Danyelle Wolf (146)
Heili Alateng (135) vs. Chad Anheliger (135.5)
Melissa Martinez (113.5) vs. Elise Reed (115.5)
Yohan Lainesse (171) vs. Darian Weeks (170.5)

* Chimaev missed the welterweight limit by 7.5 pounds to force an opponent change.
** Scheduled as a 180-pound catchweight.
*** Scheduled as a 140-pound catchweight.
^ Dawodu missed weight by 3.5 pounds and has been fined 30% of his purse.
^ Scheduled as a 220-pound catchweight.
# Barnett missed weight by 1.5 pounds and has been fined 20% of his purse.