(Editor's note: On Friday, Khamzat Chimaev missed weight for the UFC 279 main event with Nate Diaz, which prompted a reshuffling of the top three fights on Saturday's card. The new matchups now include Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson, Chimaev vs. Kevin Holland, and Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez.)
One of MMA's most iconic personalities returns to the cage for Saturday's UFC 279 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – but not in the way we expected.
Veteran badass and cult hero Nate Diaz serves originally was slated to fight fast-rising welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev, who was a massive 10-1 favorite.
However, when Chimaev badly missed weight for the fight, weighing 178.5 pounds for the 170-pound fight, UFC officials reshuffled the card.
Now, the competitors in the top three fights of the card all have new opponents: Diaz vs. Ferguson at 170 pounds, Chimaev vs. Kevin Holland at 180 pounds, and Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez at 180 pounds.
The 13-bout fight card kicks off at 6 p.m. ET for early prelims (ESPN+), followed by additional prelims at 8 p.m. ET (ESPNews) and then the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+ PPV).
You can check out the full list of UFC 279 odds via FanDuel for all of the fights on Saturday’s lineup below.
UFC 279 Odds
Early Preliminary Card
Darian Weeks vs. Yohan Lainesse
| Welterweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Weeks Odds | -128 |
| Lainesse Odds | +104 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-182 / +142) |
Melissa Martinez vs. Elise Reed
| Women's Strawweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Martinez Odds | -170 |
| Reed Odds | +138 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-450 / +310) |
Chad Anheliger vs. Alateng Heili
| Bantamweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Anheliger Odds | +140 |
| Heili Odds | -172 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-370 / +260) |
Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf
| Women's Featherweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Dumont Odds | -420 |
| Wolf Odds | +310 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-400 / +280) |
Preliminary Card
Jake Collier vs. Chris Barnett
| Heavyweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Collier Odds | -400 |
| Barnett Odds | +300 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-205 / +158) |
Denis Tiuliulin vs. Jamie Pickett
| Middleweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Tiuliulin Odds | +110 |
| Pickett Odds | -134 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-270 / +200) |
Jailton Almeida vs. Anton Turkalj
| 220-pound Catchweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Almeida Odds | -800 |
| Turkalj Odds | +520 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (+124 / -158) |
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Julian Erosa
| Featherweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Dawodu Odds | -215 |
| Erosa Odds | +172 |
| Over/under rounds | 2.5 (-148 / +116) |
Main Card
- 10 p.m. ET
- ESPN+ Pay-per-view
Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cuțelaba
| Light Heavyweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Walker Odds | +152 |
| Cutelaba Odds | -188 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (+120 / -154) |
Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson
| Women's Bantamweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Aldana Odds | -178 |
| Chiasson Odds | +144 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-430 / +300) |
Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez
| Middleweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Jingliang Odds | +130 |
| Rodriguez Odds | -160 |
| Over/under rounds | 2.5 (-152 / +120) |
Kevin Holland vs. Khamzat Chimaev
| Welterweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Holland Odds | +410 |
| Chimaev Odds | -590 |
| Over/under rounds | 1.5 (-150 / +118) |
Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson
| Welterweight Bout | Odds |
|---|
| Diaz Odds | +100 |
| Ferguson Odds | -122 |
| Over/under rounds | 4.5 (-142 / +112) |
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