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UFC 279: Diaz vs. Ferguson
Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz
20-13 · USA
VS
Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson
25-7 · USA
September 10, 2022 · Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Welterweight · 5 rounds · Main event
171.0lb
Weigh-in
171.0lb
Nate Diaz def. Tony Ferguson by SUB (Guillotine Choke), R4 2:52
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1
Diaz22/510/000:00
Ferguson19/450/100:00
R2
Diaz28/590/000:00
Ferguson20/510/000:00
R3
Diaz26/560/000:00
Ferguson30/510/100:00
R4 · 2:52
Diaz25/510/000:00
Ferguson11/251/100:08
Total
Diaz101/2170/000:00
Ferguson80/1721/300:08

Pre-fight

The model's read going in

The walk-forward model's call at the time of the bout — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.

Prediction
DiazWin probabilityFerguson
43.9%56.1%
KO / TKO
34%
Submission
15%
Decision
52%
Expected fight time: 17.9 min
Retrospective pick: the walk-forward model's call at the time of the fight — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.
What drives the pick

Each bar is a feature's push on the model from the center axis. Red pushes toward Diaz, blue toward Ferguson. Tap a bar for why.

Predicted outcomes
Diaz44%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO11%25%15%
Submission8%19%11%
Decision25%56%20%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes85 (36116)act 101
Takedowns0.3 (0.01.5)act 0
Ferguson56%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO23%40%21%
Submission6%11%6%
Decision27%49%28%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes95 (41130)act 80
Takedowns0.5 (0.02.1)act 1
Combined totals~181 sig strikes~0.8 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R114%
R214%
R310%
R46%
R54%
Distance52%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 0.5%
Diaz
45.9%+117
Ferguson
-11753.6%
Most takedownstie 60.9%
Diaz
16.7%+134
Ferguson
-13422.4%
Significant strikes — over/under
Diaz
Expected: 85.5
85.5
Over 85.5
39.8%
+152
Under 85.5
60.2%
-152
0107214
Ferguson
Expected: 95.4
95.5
Over 95.5
39.7%
+152
Under 95.5
60.3%
-152
0120239
Takedowns — over/under
Diaz
Expected: 0.3
0.5
Over 0.5
20.0%
+400
Under 0.5
80.0%
-400
035
Ferguson
Expected: 0.5
0.5
Over 0.5
25.4%
+294
Under 0.5
74.6%
-294
035

Odds are model-implied (no real prop market is priced for these). The “most” prices are draw-no-bet — a tie (for takedowns, usually 0–0) is a push, so each side is priced off its chance of winning given a result, while the % shown is the raw chance of landing strictly more. Drag a line in half-point steps: a half line (e.g. 2.5) is a clean over/under, while a whole number adds a third outcome — landing exactly on it, a push — so over, exact and under sum to 100%. On a whole number the over/under odds are draw-no-bet (priced off the decisive mass, since the push refunds), so the two sides stay mirror images rather than implying an arbitrage.

Expected fight time 17.9 min. Predicted-output ranges are percentiles of the model’s simulated fights: sig strikes the middle 50% (25th–75th); takedowns the wider 10th–90th, since they’re 0 in most fights so a narrow band would collapse to 0. Win-by-method = win probability × that fighter’s own method split: the model forecasts how the fight ends, and that forecast is divided between the corners by each fighter’s finishing record — UFC wins in full, earlier-career wins at half weight, as of fight night — reconciled so the fighters’ totals still equal their win probabilities and the methods still total the fight-level forecast above. “Equity” is each of those over that fighter’s win % — how they win given that they win — so a column adds to 100%, and it differs by corner. A fighter with no classifiable wins at any level leans on the fight-level split. “How it ends” is the model’s round-of-finish split. “Mkt” is the de-vigged market prop (consensus across books), shown for context, not as a betting signal; rounds & totals slots fill as that data lands. Percentages are apportioned by largest remainder, so each set adds to its total exactly and an individual figure can sit a point off its own rounding.

Model vs market
Final
ModelMarketGapLine
To win
Diaz43.9%43.5%+0.4+120
Ferguson56.1%56.5%−0.4-145
By method
Diaz by KO/TKO14.7%14.9%−0.2+457
Diaz by submission6.4%10.8%−4.4+673
Diaz by decision22.7%19.8%+2.9+320
Ferguson by KO/TKO18.9%20.7%−1.8+302
Ferguson by submission8.2%6.2%+2.0+1249
Ferguson by decision29.0%27.7%+1.3+201
Total rounds (over)
Over 1.5 rds85.8%78.8%+7.0-512
Over 2.5 rds72.2%69.1%+3.1-285
Over 3.5 rds61.9%61.4%+0.5-191
Over 4.5 rds55.9%40.6%+15.3-132
Goes the distance
Fight goes to decision51.7%49.6%+2.1-113

Market % is the de-vigged (no-vig) consensus across the books that price both fighters; the line is the average across books with the min–max range in parentheses. Gap is the model minus the market in points (+ = the model rates that outcome above the market). Thin or one-sided markets are flagged or left blank rather than shown as a fabricated %. Shown for context, not as a bet — the closing line is the sharpest public price and the model trails it on average. For 5-round bouts the model splits its round-3+ finish mass into rounds 3–5 by the historical within-bucket rate, so the over-3.5 / 4.5 lines carry a model estimate.

Trait web
64.7Striking70.3
Ferguson +5.6
42.9Grappling53.7
Ferguson +10.8
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
DiazFerguson
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1582
Pound-for-pound
1644
1510
Divisional
1535
1512
Striking offense
1533
1515
Striking defense
1495
1497
Grappling offense
1483
1511
Grappling defense
1549
Physical
37 yrs
Age
38 yrs
6'0"
Height
5'11"
76"
Reach
76"
Southpaw
Stance
Orthodox
Striking (UFC career)
4.52
Strikes landed / min
5.12
44%
Strike accuracy
45%
3.97
Strikes absorbed / min
3.81
53%
Strike defense
59%
Grappling (UFC career)
0.85
Takedowns / 15 min
0.41
26%
Takedown accuracy
43%
43%
Takedown defense
67%
1.2
Sub attempts / 15 min
1.1
Form & résumé
58%
UFC win rate
75%
-2
Win/loss streak
-4
40%
Last-5 win rate
20%
73%
Finish rate
73%
Recent opp. quality
455
Days since last fight
126
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Nate Diaz
  • LLeon EdwardsU-DEC R5
    Close +3601y 3mo before
  • LJorge MasvidalKO/TKO R3
    Close +1352y 10mo before
  • WAnthony PettisU-DEC R3
    Close +1003y 1mo before
  • LConor McGregorM-DEC R5
    Close +1156y 1mo before
  • WConor McGregorSUB R2
    Close +3406y 6mo before
Tony Ferguson
  • LMichael ChandlerKO/TKO R2
    Close +2794mo before
  • LBeneil DariushU-DEC R3
    Close +1281y 4mo before
  • LCharles OliveiraU-DEC R3
    Close -1851y 9mo before
  • LJustin GaethjeKO/TKO R5
    Close -1802y 4mo before
  • WDonald CerroneKO/TKO R2
    Close -2103y 3mo before
Diaz — win / loss by method
Record: 20-13-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
4 wins, 2 losses
W
20% of wins
L
15% of losses
Submission
12 wins, 1 loss
W
60% of wins
L
8% of losses
Decision
4 wins, 10 losses
W
20% of wins
L
77% of losses
UFC
15win11loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
2 (13%)KO/TKO(18%) 2
9 (60%)Submission(0%) 0
4 (27%)Decision(82%) 9
Non-UFC
5win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
2 (40%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
3 (60%)Submission(50%) 1
0 (0%)Decision(50%) 1
Ferguson — win / loss by method
Record: 25-7-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
12 wins, 2 losses
W
48% of wins
L
29% of losses
Submission
8 wins, 1 loss
W
32% of wins
L
14% of losses
Decision
5 wins, 4 losses
W
20% of wins
L
57% of losses
UFC
15win5loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
5 (33%)KO/TKO(40%) 2
6 (40%)Submission(0%) 0
4 (27%)Decision(60%) 3
Non-UFC
10win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
7 (70%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
2 (20%)Submission(50%) 1
1 (10%)Decision(50%) 1

Profiles

Experience
Diaz
Ferguson
26
UFC fights
20
319.4 min · 12.3 avg
Octagon time
220.0 min · 11.0 avg
21y 9m
Career length
18y 3m
UFC schedule strength

Opponents' records on fight night — toggle their full cross-promotional record vs UFC bouts only.

Diaz
Ferguson
462W–119L · 79.5%
Overall
407W–121L · 77.1%
249W–66L · 79.0%
Wins
305W–94L · 76.4%
213W–53L · 80.1%
Losses
102W–27L · 79.1%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Diaz
Ferguson
53W–19L · 73.6%
Overall
70W–47L · 59.8%
26W–10L · 72.2%
Wins
54W–40L · 57.4%
27W–9L · 75.0%
Losses
16W–7L · 69.6%
Distance striking
Diaz
Ferguson
6.91
Landed / min
6.45
38.7%
Accuracy
43.6%
59.1%
Defense
60.1%
0.19
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.20
46.8%
Time at distance
71.8%
Grappling & control
Diaz
Ferguson
0.85
Takedowns / 15 min
0.41
26.5%
Takedown accuracy
42.9%
43.2%
Takedown defense
66.7%
1.17
Sub attempts / 15 min
1.09
32.7%
Control share
13.1%
Strike target map
Diaz
  • Head74%(1,075)div 63%
  • Body17%(242)div 20%
  • Legs9%(126)div 16%
Ferguson
  • Head62%(700)div 63%
  • Body18%(201)div 20%
  • Legs20%(225)div 16%

Where each fighter lands significant strikes (career). “div” = the weight-class average.

Nate Diaz
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.

Tony Ferguson
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.