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The main event of UFC 279 tomorrow night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas might be in jeopardy, as Khamzat Chimaev is currently standing on the scales at 178.5 lbs. for his welterweight bout against Nate Diaz.
Khamzat Chimaev (178.5)#UFC279 pic.twitter.com/En8t91Uq25
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) September 9, 2022
I’m told the reason why Chimaev missed weight by so much was due to a “medical issue.” Unclear what that is and how that affects him long term.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2022
Developing.
We are live: https://t.co/xYPaBM2B3g
The weight limit is 170 pounds, but since this is a non-title matchup there is one lb. of grace given. However that’s not 7.5, and while Chimaev technically has until 2 p.m. ET to make weight, it’s clear he’s going to come up well short.
Diaz might not want to get in the cage with someone that has such a massive advantage, and can choose not to fight. Especially a skilled grappler like the Chechen Chimaev, who is 11-0 in MMA with six KO’s and four submissions, that might be a wise decision if he’s interested at all in being competitive.
At age 37 Diaz is on the back-end of his storied UFC career, with losses in three of his last four outings. Even without the weight disadvantage, Chimaev is a whopping -950 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Diaz playing the role of sacrificial lamb according to bettors at +650.