UFC 279 Judges' Cards: Expert Picks, Predictions for Diaz vs. Ferguson

Khamzat Chimaev missed weight for his bout with Nate Diaz by 7.5 pounds. Now, Diaz will face Tony Ferguson in the main event. Chimaev will fight Kevin Holland at catch weight in penultimate fight of the night.

UFC 279 Judges' Cards: Expert Picks, Predictions for Diaz vs. Ferguson.

Chimaev is favored to beat Holland. He will use his superior takedown defense to punish Holland with top control and heavy ground-and-pound. He is also a better bet than Diaz.

Johnny Walker is a point fighter and distance striker, but his grappling is still a liability. Ion Cutelaba is an experienced striker who knows how to put a man on the back foot. He has won 13 of his 17 fights by knockout or by stoppage.

Chimaev has won his last two fights by unanimous decision. He is a knockout specialist. Chimaeva is 6'2 and has a six-inch reach disadvantage. He has been able to wear down his opponents with two minutes of control time in four of his past five fights.

Diaz is favored to win over Ferguson. Ferguson is on a four-fight losing skid. Diaz's win will close out his UFC contract.

Macy Chiasson is favored to beat Irene Aldana. Alexis is picking Chiason to win. He thinks Chianson will get Aldanna to the fence early and then grind her out from clinch.

Diaz was supposed to fight Chimaev in the UFC 279 main event but he changed his mind. Now he's going to face Ferguson. Ferguson is on a four-fight losing streak. He's also struggled to defend against takedowns. He was preparing for a three-round bout but is now scheduled to go five.

Both Cutelaba and Walker have a history of finishing fights in the first round. Smith expects more of the same on Saturday night.

Chimaev-Holland is a fight between two men who have a grudge against each other. The last time the two fighters fought, they both won by stoppage.

Walker and Cutelaba are going to meet in the UFC 279 main card. The fight is expected to end in first 60 seconds of Round 1. Both fighters have a history of early finishes. The winner will face Diaz. It's tough to predict who will land the killer blow.

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