After a lengthy run in the UFC, the end may be near for Nate Diaz. Saturday at UFC 279, he will compete in the last fight of his current contract with the promotion. After that, it’s unknown what’s next for the 37-year-old.
His last UFC fight will be against an unexpected foe. Diaz will face veteran Tony Ferguson after his initial opponent, rising star Khamzat Chimaev, missed weight by 7.5 pounds at the weigh-in and forced a reshuffle of the top of the card.
The fight against Ferguson, a fellow fan favorite, may wind up being a performance to remember, something that has been a major theme of Diaz’s career. Diaz could very well come out of T-Mobile Arena with a win.
Diaz has entertained UFC fans since 2007, and several moments have secured his spot as an all-time great fighter and personality.
The Sporting News looks back at some of Diaz’s greatest UFC moments.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 279 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
5. Dominant performance against Donald Cerrone at UFC 141
At UFC 141 in 2011, Alistair Overeem took down Brock Lesnar in what was his last fight until 2016. The co-main event was a special bout between Diaz and Cerrone.
Cerrone, who was on a six-fight winning streak, was the betting favorite. Diaz landed more than 238 shots in the fight despite being taken down by leg kicks. Diaz won via unanimous decision. “Cowboy” didn’t get a title shot until 2015.
Diaz then beat Jim Miller before losing to Benson Henderson in a UFC lightweight title bout in 2012.
While he never won the belt, Diaz’s bout against Cerrone will be remembered as one of the best performances of his career.
4. Post-fight speech following win over Michael Johnson in 2015
Although he was coming off a loss, Johnson was still a dangerous fighter. Diaz put together a Fight of the Night performance against him, landing 153 shots (Johnson landed 103). It was a huge win for Diaz.
But if there is one thing this night is known for, it is for what Diaz said after the bout.
Diaz called out Conor McGregor, who was at the height of his power after having beaten Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight title.
“Conor McGregor, you’re taking everything I work for, motherf—er. I’m gonna fight your f—ing ass. You know what the real fight, the real money fight, is. Me! Not these clowns that you already punked at the press conference. Don’t no one want to see that. You know you beat them already. That’s an easy fight. You want that real s—? Right here.”
From there, the seeds were planted for one of the greatest rivalries in MMA history.
3. Triangle-choke win over Kurt Pellegrino in 2008
After winning “The Ultimate Fighter” (more on that later), Diaz was on the hunt for tougher opponents. He won two in a row before facing Pellegrino, who had 12 wins to his name before fighting Diaz.
MORE: Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson purse, salaries
The fight only lasted two rounds as Diaz submitted him with the triangle choke. The submission win was impressive, but what he did during the fight got fans on his side. Diaz flexed to the crowd and threw up a few middle fingers right before Pellegrino tapped.
The casual, dominant win was a moment that fans of the sport will never forget.
2. Winning ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in 2007
Diaz earned his spot on the UFC roster in 2007. He made an immediate impact on “The Ultimate Fighter,” winning his first three fights via submission. He then faced teammate Manvel Gamburyan in the series finale, which featured B.J. Penn vs. Jens Pulver.
Diaz won his fight via submission. Gamburyan was forced to tap after dislocating his right shoulder following a takedown attempt.
It wasn’t the sexiest way to win “The Ultimate Fighter,” but the entire show was a great introduction to Diaz.
1. Beating Conor McGregor in 2016
At UFC 196, Diaz went from a fan favorite to a household name. After calling out McGregor following his win over Michael Johnson, Diaz got his wish. The “Notorious” one was supposed to fight Rafael dos Anjos, but an injury prevented that matchup from happening. Diaz entered the mix, and things kicked into high gear from there.
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It was peak UFC matchmaking at the time. The scene was tense between McGregor and Diaz, even on short notice. The two personalities clashed whenever they could. Both men trash-talked throughout the fight. McGregor bloodied Diaz early, but that didn’t stop the Stockton, Calif., native.
The fighters traded shots in Round 2. Diaz tagged McGregor with a few lefts. With McGregor reeling, Diaz slapped him, landed combinations and brought him to the cage. McGregor tried coming back with shots, but Diaz continued to press forward. With McGregor trying to take him to the ground, Diaz reversed and landed multiple blows on the floor. He then submitted McGregor, to the shock of the crowd and the world.
The most famous line in MMA history was uttered following the bout:
“I’m not surprised, motherf—er.”
When is UFC 279: Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson?
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
- Start time: 6:15 p.m. ET | 11:15 PM BST | 8 a.m. AEST
- Prelims: 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. BST | 10 a.m. AEST
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET | 5:15 a.m. BST | 2:15 p.m. AEST (Approximately)
UFC 279 takes place on Sept. 10. The FIGHT PASS prelims take place at 6:15 p.m. ET, with the prelims going on after at 8 p.m. ET. The main card goes live at 10 p.m. ET. Ferguson and Diaz should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
MORE: Will the UFC be returning to Canada any time soon?
How to watch UFC 279: Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson
- TV channels: ESPN+
- Live stream: ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass
The main card for UFC 279 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost.
Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+, the WatchESPN app and, for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on TSN, Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Eastlink and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport, with the prelims available on UFC Fight Pass.
In Australia, the main card will be on Main Event, Kayo Sports, FOXTEL and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson price: How much does UFC 279 cost?
- $74.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $99.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 279 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 279 is $74.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 279 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 279 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $74.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $99.98, then $69.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle |
$88.98, then $13.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 279 fight card
Main card
- Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson
- Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kevin Holland
- Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez
- Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson; Bantamweights
- Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba; Light Heavyweights
Prelims
- Hakeem Dawodu vs. Julian Erosa; Featherweights
- Jailton Almeida vs. Anton Turkalj; Catchweight
- Denis Tiuliulin vs. Jamie Pickett; Middleweights
- Jake Collier vs. Chris Barnett; Heavyweights
FIGHT PASS Prelims
- Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf; Featherweights
- Chad Anheliger vs. Alateng Heili; Bantamweights
- Elise Reed vs. Melissa Martinez; Strawweights
- Darian Weeks vs. Yohan Lainesse; Welterweights
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