UFC 279: Chimaev vs. Diaz fight week schedule, full card, predictions, and betting odds

The UFC is headed to the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada for its next pay-per-view event, UFC 279: Chimaev vs. Diaz. The event takes place on Saturday, September 10, and features a series of intriguing matchups.

The UFC 279 card will be headlined by a non-title five-round clash between Nate Diaz and undefeated sensation Khamzat Chimaev. Diaz will compete in what will mark his final outing under the promotional banner. The UFC veteran has provided fans with numerous memorable moments over the years and looks to end his storied UFC career on a high.

His opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, has looked nothing short of extraordinary since joining the UFC ranks over two years ago. 'Borz' has run through every opponent put in front of him, and even though his last opponent Gilbert Burns posed some serious challenges, Chimaev won via unanimous decision.

Check out the pre-fight press conference and weigh-ins schedule for the UFC 279 event below:

Press conference

The pre-fight press conference for UFC 279: Chimaev vs. Diaz will take place on Thursday, September 8, and can be watched live on the promotion's official website, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch accounts.

Official and ceremonial weigh-ins

The official and ceremonial weigh-ins for the UFC 279 event will take place on Friday, September 9, and can be followed live on the aforementioned platforms.

NOTE: The dates are estimated based on the usual schedule for UFC events and are subject to change as they are yet to be officially confirmed.

Check out the full card and betting odds for UFC 279: Chimaev vs. Diaz below.

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UFC 279: Chimaev vs. Diaz main card

Check out the full card and betting odds for UFC 279 below:

(Welterweight) Khamzat Chimaev -1150 [favorite] vs. Nate Diaz +750

(Welterweight) Li Jingliang -265 [favorite] vs. Tony Ferguson +225

(Catchweight 180 lb) Kevin Holland -215 [favorite] vs. Daniel Rodriguez +185

(Women's Bantamweight) Irene Aldana -200 [favorite] vs. Macy Chiasson +170

(Light Heavyweight) Johnny Walker +155 vs. Ion Cuțelaba -180 [favorite]

UFC 279 Preliminary card

(Featherweight) Hakeem Dawodu -225 [favorite] vs. Julian Erosa +190

(Heavyweight) Shamil Abdurakhimov +500 vs. Jailton Almeida -700 [favorite]

(Middleweight) Denis Tiuliulin -135 [favorite] vs. Jamie Pickett +115

(Heavyweight) Jake Collier -345 [favorite] vs. Chris Barnett +285

UFC 279 Early preliminary card

(Women's Featherweight) Norma Dumont -325 [favorite] vs. Danyelle Wolf +270

(Bantamweight) Chad Anheliger +150 vs. Alateng Heili -175 [favorite]

(Women's Strawweight) Melissa Martinez -150 [favorite] vs. Elise Reed +130

(Welterweight) Darian Weeks -135 [favorite] vs. Yohan Lainesse +115

Main card predictions for UFC 279: Chimaev vs. Diaz

Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cuțelaba

Ion Cutelaba is a betting favorite in this one but neither fighter is in their best form heading into the bout at UFC 279. Nevertheless, it's an excellent addition to the main card as both fighters will be desperately looking for a victory.

Interestingly, the pair shared four common rivals throughout their careers - Khalil Rountree, Misha Cirkunov, Ryan Spann, and Luis Henrique da Silva. The Brazilian is 4-0 against the shared completion whereas Ion Cutelaba is 2-2.

This fight is tough to call considering their recent performances, but Walker is expected to get his hands raised.

Verdict: Johnny Walker

Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson

Aldana bounced back from a loss to Holly Holm with an impressive TKO finish of Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 264 in July. Chiasson, on the other hand, rebounded from a submission defeat to Raquel Pennington with a split decision win over Norma Dumont in May.

Both women are 3-2 in their last five bouts, but Adlana has certainly looked more impressive, finishing two of those three opponents to Chiasson's three decision wins. The Mexican standout is expected to continue her strong form and manage to pull off another win next Saturday.

Verdict: Irene Aldana

Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez

2022 could not have gone much better for fan favorite Kevin Holland, who is fresh off back-to-back stoppage wins. 'Trailblazer' was last seen in action when he submitted Tim Means with a second-round submission in June. That was after he scored a technical knockout win over Alex Oliveira in his welterweight return in March. Both victories earned him 'Performance of the Night' honors.

Daniel Rodriguez, on the other hand, will return to action after over a year of inactivity. 'D-Rod' outpointed Kevin Lee last time out in August 2021 to pick up his second straight win.

Both fighters have fighters have a well-rounded mix of skills and it is expected to be a big challenge for the two. However, Holland is expected to emerge victorious after a thrilling battle.

Verdict: Kevin Holland

Li Jingliang vs. Tony Ferguson

After dropping four consecutive bouts at lightweight, Tony Ferguson is moving up to 170 pounds. However, the odds are stacked against him.

His opponent, Li Jingliang, also hasn't shown much consistency in his recent years, but he is coming off of one of his best performances with a second-round technical knockout over Muslim Salikhov in July.

With a brutal finishing ability like that, the Chinese sensation could certainly put the lights out on the UFC veteran. That said, we're going with the favorite Jingliang. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how 'El Cucuy' performs with the new size and power of the 170lbs division.

Verdict: Li Jingliang

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz

Khamzat Chimaev is a gigantic favorite in this matchup and it's not hard to see why the odds are heavily stacked against the veteran in Nate Diaz. The consensus is that the Chechen-born 'Borz' is the worst stylistic matchup for the Stockton native.

Many have predicted an easy win for the undefeated phenom, who is very likely to finish his opponent by utilizing his strong wrestling and relentless ground-and-pound. While there is no doubting the resiliency and toughness of Diaz, it's hard to pick against Chimaev here.

Verdict: Khamzat Chimaev