Diaz chokes out Ferguson to end chaotic UFC 279

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nate Diaz stopped Tony Ferguson with a guillotine choke in the fourth round of the hastily arranged main event of UFC 279 on Saturday night.

The 37-year-old Diaz (21-13) finished his current UFC contract by finishing fellow veteran Ferguson (25-9) in a matchup only made on Friday after Khamzat Chimaev badly missed weight for his main-event bout with Diaz.

Chimaev stopped Kevin Holland with a D'Arce choke 2:13 into the first round of their grudge match, which was also created after Chimaev (12-0) missed weight by 7 1/2 pounds on Friday morning. The UFC dramatically shuffled its card to keep both Chimaev and Diaz on the show, resulting in three new matchups for the final three fights at T-Mobile Arena.

Diaz's desire to fight the vaunted Chimaev seemed foolhardy in a distinctly Diaz way, but the late matchup with Ferguson was much more competitive than the original booking likely would have been. Ferguson, who only agreed to be on the card three weeks ago, had lost his previous four fights over the past three years, while Diaz was 1-2 in the last six years.

“At the end of the day, I love the UFC,” Diaz said. “I feel like I’ve had the longest career in the UFC, and I’ve had the most successful one out of everybody."

Diaz landed punches regularly on Ferguson in the first two rounds, and he played to the crowd in the third with long walks around the cage between exchanges, even resting with one arm atop the cage momentarily.

Ferguson got Diaz's attention with leg kicks — but when Ferguson attempted to get into a grappling match, Diaz applied the choke and finished at 2:52 of the fourth.

Diaz has already announced plans to start his own promotional company outside the UFC, and each fight could be the last for a