Details Emerge on UFC 279 Press Conference Which Was Canceled After Fighters Brawled Backstage

Fighters love to fight.

The UFC broke new ground on Thursday evening, as the company was forced to cancel a scheduled press conference before it even began. After fans and the assembled media waited approximately 30 minutes for the UFC 279 presser to begin, UFC honcho Dana White walked out by himself to announce the press conference was not going to take place. The UFC president seemed pretty upset that he was force to call off the presser. Reports suggest the press conference was cancelled after a number of fighters brawled in the back before it began.

Watch the video of Dana White canceling the presser:

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That's a wrap from the #UFC279 Presser 😅

See you tomorrow for weigh-ins! pic.twitter.com/mxf9f9L5hJ

— UFC (@ufc) September 8, 2022

Here is Ariel Helwani describing what happened backstage:

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Here’s the full story regarding why the UFC 279 press conference was canceled before it started. pic.twitter.com/adIIQfKFXW

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2022

He provided more details below:

More info coming in.

Khamzat Chimaev push kicked Holland in the chest. Chimaev was reacting to things Holland has said recently and it set him off, I’m told. Once that was broken up the Chimaev-Diaz part of the story popped off and then the bottles started flying.

Per sources close to Chimaev, he was flying solo backstage. Not sure what the ratio was but he was definitely outnumbered, fwiw.

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Water bottles, too.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2022

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More info coming in.

Khamzat Chimaev push kicked Holland in the chest. Chimaev was reacting to things Holland has said recently and it set him off, I’m told. Once that was broken up the Chimaev-Diaz part of the story popped off and then the bottles started flying. https://t.co/WGpbskiQz7

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2022

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Per sources close to Chimaev, he was flying solo backstage. Not sure what the ratio was but he was definitely outnumbered, fwiw.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2022

UFC 279 is all set for T-Mobile Arena this weekend and the main even features Khamzat Chimaev facing Nate Diaz, while Li Jingliang and Tony Ferguson will battle at the top of the undercard fights.

Weigh-ins are scheduled to go forward on Friday as planned, assuming more fights don’t break out.

Save the fighting for the Octagon you brutes.

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