UFC 279 Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson: Start Time, How to Watch or Stream Online

Abraham Smith

We’re so close to UFC 279. It was weird. Where do we even start?

Let’s start with Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev. That was the fight that was target to override UFC 279. But Chimaev missed the weight massively, coming over the 171 mark at 7.5 pounds. To save the card, the UFC had to rearrange the entire main card.

Continue reading: How to get ESPN Plus for UFC 279

After negotiations between the fighters, there is a new main event. And one that bizarrely makes a lot more sense.

Instead of being outclassed by Chimaev, Nate Diaz now takes on fellow UFC legend Tony Ferguson.

Chimaev now fights Kevin Holland in the co-main event at a catch weight of 179 pounds. Considering these two have been circling each other and sending taunts to each other for months, this fight can also make a lot of sense.

Li Jingliang, who was originally set to fight Tony Ferguson, now meets Holland’s old opponent Daniel Rodriguez.

In short, we are away from …

  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Li Jingliang
  • Kevin Holland vs Daniel Rodriguez

To…

  • Nate Diaz vs Tony Ferguson
  • Khamzat Chimaev versus Kevin Holland
  • Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Probably the biggest loser here is Li Jingliang, who went from a prestigious co-main event with a legend in Tony Ferguson to a really tough fight with a bigger man in Daniel Rodriguez.

But the card is alive.

Press conference canceled?

It’s been a chaotic few days. Before the weigh-in, UFC President Dana White had to cancel the UFC 279 press conference at the very last minute after a huge backstage scuffle involving Chimaev and another undercard fighter, Kevin Holland.

The pair had been bickering back and forth before things got physical. Members of Diaz’s entourage also reportedly got involved, with bottles being thrown.

MMA reporter Ariel Helwani has the full story.

All par for the course with a Diaz fight.

UFC 279 start time

The UFC 279 main card begins September 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT). Here are all the details from multiple time zones.

US

  • The main map begins September 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT).
  • Prelims begin September 10 at 8pm ET (5pm PT).
  • Early prelims begin September 10 at 6:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. PT).

United Kingdom

  • The main map begins at 3am BST on September 11th.
  • The preliminary rounds begin on September 11 at 1am BST.
  • Early prelims begin September 10th at 11pm BST.

Australia

  • The main card begins September 11 at 12pm AEDT.
  • Prelims begin September 11 at 10am AEDT.
  • Early prelims begin September 11 at 8:00 a.m. AEDT.

How to watch UFC 279

The UFC now has a partnership with ESPN. This is great news for the UFC and the expansion of MMA, but bad news for consumer choice. Especially if you are one of the UFC fans who want to watch UFC in USA.

If you want to know how to watch UFC 279 in the US, you can find fight night only on pay-per-view via ESPN Plus. The cost structure is a little confusing, but here are the options for watching UFC on ESPN, according to the ESPN website:

  • Existing annual ESPN Plus subscribers can order the upcoming UFC card for $75.
  • New ESPN Plus subscribers can purchase a bundle of a UFC PPV event (streaming in HD) and an annual recurring ESPN Plus subscription for $100. This is a decent deal. The annual ESPN Plus subscription for ESPN will automatically renew after one year at the price of an annual ESPN Plus subscription at the time of auto-renewal.

You can do all of this from the link below.

MMA fans in the UK can watch UFC 278 exclusively through BT Sport.

There are more options when you live in Australia. You can watch UFC 278 via Main Event on Foxtel. You can also stream through Kayo for AU$55. You can even order using your PlayStation or the UFC app on your Xbox.

Need more international viewing options? Try a VPN to change your IP address and access the US, UK, or Australia options listed above. Check out the best VPNs recommended by CNET editors.

Full battle map

As always, these maps are subject to change.

Main PPV map

  • Nate Diaz vs Tony Ferguson
  • Khamzat Chimaev versus Kevin Holland
  • Li Jingliang vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson
  • Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba

front matter

  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Julian Erosa
  • Jailton Almeida vs Anton Turkalj
  • Denis Tiuliulin vs. Jamie Pickett
  • Jake Collier vs. Chris Barnett

Early Heats

  • Danyelle Wolf vs. Norma Dumont
  • Chad Anheliger vs Heili Alateng
  • Elise Reed vs. Melissa Martinez
  • Darian Weeks vs. Yohan Lainesse

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