"Probably is rigged, things aren't adding up here" - Fans call the UFC "scripted like WWE" after massive UFC 279 card change debacle
Dana White and the UFC have been accused of foul play and manipulation by MMA fans following the changes in the main card for UFC 279.
The mayhem that ensued after Khamzat Chimaev missed the non-title welterweight limit for his fight with Nate Diaz has caused fans to speculate on the transparency of the UFC's matchmaking.
Conspiracies have been raised as to whether or not UFC 279 was scripted. Fans have been arguing on Twitter, with one user @YaBoyyAR claiming that the event is rigged.
@steveosterdahl @ufc @NateDiaz209 @TonyFergusonXT Probably is rigged, things arent adding up here. My guess is that Khamzat was unable to make weight in time, and this is the masterplan they developed behind the scenes.
Others even went as far as to accuse the UFC of being "scripted as the WWE."
Man the UFC is just as scripted as the WWE twitter.com/ufc/status/156…
@chitoveraUFC UFC is the new wwe and this was the scripted narrative
Dana scripted this weekend perfectly. WWE level theatrics to sell what was a pretty shit PPV card. Great marketing once again by the UFC.
@SamoanSauce @ZinfamousHD @ufc WWE can learn from this stunt. Was scripted from start to finish. Just ridiculous. First you try to feed Diaz to Khamzat, then it gets to scary because of 8 pounds and you mix everything around and end up with a fight with 10 pound difference. Just nobody talking about it.
UFC is the new WWE! Everything is scripted. Dana "Vince McMahon" White knew Khamzat Chimaev was over but matched Holland. Nate didn't want to fight KC to begin with. What a bunch of wool pulling! #UFC #DanaWhite #noppvforme
However, some fans disagree with the criticisms, believing that the UFC would have no motive to do something like this.
@runningbucky @steveosterdahl @ufc @NateDiaz209 @TonyFergusonXT khamzat steamrolling diaz would only benefit the ufc by giving more stardom to their rising star
@steveosterdahl @ufc @NateDiaz209 @TonyFergusonXT there is no incentive for the ufc to plan this
@steveosterdahl @ufc @NateDiaz209 @TonyFergusonXT shit like this rarely happens stfu😂
@steveosterdahl @ufc @NateDiaz209 @TonyFergusonXT Horrible take. If it was rigged, there would've been a billion things they could've done to make it better for themselves. Not everything is a conspiracy.
@steveosterdahl @ufc @NateDiaz209 @TonyFergusonXT You have to be trolling
The theory of the event being rigged is hard to wrap one's mind around. Suppose the narrative of the UFC being against Nate Diaz is true, why would they want to give him a fight against an opponent like Tony Ferguson, who is on a heavy losing streak?
Dana White explains the reason for Khamzat Chimaev missing weight at UFC 279
Khamzat Chimaev missing weight has created a whirlwind last 24 hours for the UFC, who have had to scurry to reorganize the main card of the event in order to keep it alive.
Diaz said that he wouldn't fight Chimaev after 'Borz' missed weight by 7.5lbs, and Dana White and the rest of the matchmakers needed to make some quickfire choices about who could replace the Chechen-born Swede. They settled on Tony Ferguson, and after Diaz accepted the bout, it was announced as the new headliner.
Dana White spoke to ESPN following the changes, and also explained the reason for Chimaev missing weight by such a big margin:
"If you saw him yesterday, he was very very lean already and he should have come in on weight. He started cutting weight, and he started locking up and cramping and all the things that happen when you're bad, from a bad cut. And unlike 10 years ago when we were doing this, they call in, we send a doctor up and the doctor determines whether he should keep cutting weight or not. And the doctor told him he shouldn't."
Watch the video below:
It appears that the UFC and Dana White attempted to make the best of a bad situation, following the complications with Chimaev's weight cut. Fans seem pleased with the new main event, and the excitement for UFC 279 is building quickly.