Khamzat Chimaev Misses Weight by a Whopping 7.5-Pounds, Gets a New Oppponent for UFC 279

Ever since Khamzat Chimaev made his debut in the UFC, both fans, as well as pundits, knew that he was not just another fighter. ‘Borz’ smashed multiple records in just two fights with the UFC and quickly became a fan favorite for his willingness to fight frequently.

Up until his most recent fight, Chimaev had never been tested and absolutely demolished everyone put in front of him. His most recent fight against Gilbert Burns was a fight where Chimaev was tested to the limit and showed his mettle to be able to endure punishment early on and still secure a win. 

‘Borz’ was matched up against Nate Diaz for the main event at UFC 279 in what would be his first time headlining a card and one of the very few times that a headliner for a PPV event is not a title fight. Unfortunately, to the dismay of the fans, Chimaev missed weight by a whopping 7.5 pounds, and his fight with Diaz was put in jeopardy. 

The UFC was left scrambling as there was no way to salvage the main event as Diaz had no interest in fighting Chimaev at catchweight. Fortunately, Tony Ferguson was on the same card and the UFC was able to match Diaz up against Tony Ferguson in a fight that fans are extremely excited to see. 

Who will Khamzat Chimaev face at UFC 279?

Since Tony Ferguson was matched up against Nate Diaz as the main event at UFC 279, there were a few other fighters that had to be moved around as well. Chief among them being ‘Borz’. The Chechen-born fighter was booked for a fight at middleweight against Kevin Holland. 

Interestingly, yesterday’s UFC 279 press conference was canceled because a brawl between Kevin Holland and Khamzat Chimaev’s team broke out backstage. Therefore, not only will this be an interesting fight, there is also some bad blood here between the two men stepping into the cage, which adds an extra element of excitement to any bout. 

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