UFC 279: Khamzat Chimaev comes in overweight, puts fight with Nate Diaz in jeopardy

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Just one day before UFC 279 in Las Vegas, Khamzat Chimaev, who is set to face Nate Diaz in the main event, was too heavy at weigh-in Friday. 

Chimaev came in at 178½ pounds, which is 7½ pounds heavier than his 171-pound limit in the welterweight class.

Diaz weighed in perfectly at 171 pounds. Chimaev is putting the fight at UFC Apex in jeopardy. 

Chimaev, a 28-year-old who is undefeated at 11-0-0 in his UFC career, is set to face Diaz, who is in his final fight on his current contract. At 37 years old, it’s unclear whether Diaz will be back. 

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Khamzat Chimaev of Russia punches Gilbert Burns of Brazil in their welterweight fight during UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena April 9, 2022, in Jacksonville, Fla. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Chimaev is a heavy favorite to win this matchup. Fox Bet has him at -1000 (bet $1000 to win $100). So this is a big problem, and Chimaev needs to cut that weight in time for Saturday’s final weigh-in. 

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Khamzat Chimaev of Russia poses on a scale during the UFC 279 official weigh-in at UFC APEX Sept. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Is it impossible? No. It’s been done before, and Chimaev shrugged his shoulders when his weight came in. He even posted a joke on his Twitter account. 

Chimaev has had a tumultuous week leading into this fight. Paulo Costa, a middleweight fighter, got into a verbal altercation with Chimaev Wednesday. Then, during the UFC 279 news conference, Chimaev kicked Kevin Holland, who is scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez on the card Saturday. UFC