Khamzat Chimaev missed weight Friday ahead of his UFC 279 welterweight main event against Nate Diaz.

Chimaev, the No. 3 ranked fighter in the division, was 7.5 pounds overweight after tipping the scales at 178.5 pounds.

Diaz, meanwhile, hit the scales at 171 pounds to make weight in what could be his final bout with the promotion.

UFC president Dana White announced later on Friday that Diaz will now face Tony Ferguson in the UFC 279 headliner, while Chimaev will fight Kevin Holland in the co-main event. Li Jingliang, who was originally set to take on Ferguson, is scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez, Holland's initial opponent.

Chimaev (11-0) has competed in the promotion at both middleweight and welterweight. Friday marks the first time that he has missed weight since joining the UFC in 2020.

Meanwhile, Jingliang (170.5) and Ferguson (171) hit their marks for their welterweight showdown.

The weigh-in took place a day after Thursday's press conference was canceled following several altercations between fighters backstage.

White said Thursday that Chimaev and Holland started the fracas. The tussle evolved to include members of Diaz's entourage squaring up with members of Chimaev's camp, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi.