Nate Diaz capped off a wild week in Las Vegas by completing the final fight on his UFC contract in spectacular fashion after submitting Tony Ferguson with a fourth-round guillotine choke in the UFC 279 main event.
After Khamzat Chimaev failed to make weight, Diaz had to shift his attention towards Ferguson at the last minute but he didn’t skip a beat as he showcased his signature toughness and relentless pace in a grueling battle between a pair of legitimate legends. It was after Diaz stung Ferguson with a series of punches that he fended off a takedown attempt by locking on a guillotine choke that helped him secured the victory with the end of the fight coming at 2:52 in the fourth round.
Following the win, Diaz said he would be leaving the UFC. He had spent the past 15 year with the promotion. However, he added that he was open to returning to the UFC if he has managed some other business.
“All I know it’s been a love-hate relationship with me and the UFC the whole time I’ve been in this organization but at the end of the day, I love the UFC,” Diaz said. Thanks to Hunter Campbell, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White and Dana White for providing me with the opportunity and platform.
” I want to step out of UFC and teach all the fighters how to control and take over another sport. Because Conor McGregor did not know how. None of these other fighters know how to do it. So I’m going to go out there and I’m going take over another profession and become the best at that. Show everybody I’m the best at that and then I’m going to be right the f*** back here to get a motherf****** UFC title. The best title in the world.”
After it seemed that there had been so much animosity between Diaz, UFC, and Stockton, Calif. in the recent months, Diaz didn’t appear to have any hatred towards the UFC. However, it would be nice to get free agency after Ferguson’s performance.
While he did secure the submission in the fourth round, Diaz didn’t get an easy victory as Ferguson gave him everything he could handle right up to the conclusion.
Ferguson was the one who tried to jump off to a faster start. He may have been trying to find a more rapid pace since he had initially trained for the three-round bout prior to the final change. Although Diaz was slower to find a rhythm, he finally found a place for his feetpunches.
As time ticked away in the opening round, Diaz snapped off another rapid-fire series of punches that clipped Ferguson on the jaw as the Las Vegas crowd came alive with a roaring series of cheers.
Ferguson tried to shift the momentum and mix his boxing with some kicks from unconventional angles in an effort to confuse Diaz. Diaz fired back with his signature straight punches with at least one slipping through Ferguson’s defense and opening a cut over his right eye.
As blood started flowing, Diaz tried to capitalize by making a right turn and then a left hand. This caught Ferguson completely off-guard.
In return, Ferguson started targeting the lead leg with a series of brutal kicks that really began mounting damage on Diaz, who was noticeably limping around the cage. Diaz took an unusual timeout, he stood in front of the cage and refused to engage before he returned to the middle of the cage.
Again, they began trading strikes. Diaz was praising Ferguson while trying to avoid any leg kicks.
Midway through round four, Diaz connected with the best punch of his fight. He landed a powerful left hand that stunned Ferguson for a moment. Realizing his opponent was hurt, Diaz surged forward with several more shots in succession as Ferguson was forced to look for a takedown to try and avoid more punishment.
That’s when Diaz quickly grabbed onto the guillotine choke and settled into the submission off his back as Ferguson was forced to tap out once he realized there was no escape. After the fight, Diaz made a tribute to Ferguson and took a shot against Chimaev who was severely overweight.
” I felt like this was such a rookie ****,” Diaz stated. “I ain’t worried about no b**** ass rookie. I had one fight left, I told them after not letting me have fights forever, I was like give me anybody you got. It was a good O.G. I was able to perform mixed martial arts on .”
Although it seemed that Diaz meant boxing in the post-fight interview as the sport he wanted to conquer, he clarified later that he was open to any offer from combat sports so long as it presented him with a challenge.
For Ferguson, the UFC 279 main fight dropped him to zero -5 after his five previous fights. However, he did not seem dissatisfied with his performance.
” This s*** was crazy,” Ferguson stated. “It was an honor to come in here and fight for you fans. That was the best part of the sport ***,. Two legends of the sport. A super fight is what you guys wanted, that’s what you guys got. You got four rounds of f****** carnage. I’m f****** back. Some mistakes have to be rectified and my crew .”
is so wonderful.
