A bloodied Tony Ferguson paid respect to rival Nate Diaz after brutal fight with wholesome display of admiration following their UFC 279 main event in Nevada. In a UFC event which had already seen its fair share of controversy with Khamzat Chimaev missing weight, fans were eagerly anticipating a Diaz-Ferguson bout which promised to be an exciting fight. Diaz was going in to the fight on the back of a loss to current welterweight champion Leon Edwards back in 2021. Ferguson would also be looking to brush off any doubts about his future following a brutal KO from lightweight Michael Chandler in his previous fight. With both fighters renowned for their incredible cardio and unrelenting desire, UFC fans were right in assuming this one would not be won easily.Ferguson opened round one with a clean takedown, following up with a brutal leg kick to Diaz’s head. A bright flurry which resulted in a leg cut which would characterise much of this fight.Nate Diaz As to be expected Diaz was unfazed and quickly began taking control of the ring. By round 2, both fighters gave the fans something to cheer about with quick displays of showboating which has seen them gain such popularity in the UFC community.As the fight progressed, Ferguson paid the price for constantly exposing his back with Diaz quick to exploit this opportunity landing a clean left hook which badly cut Ferguson’s right eye. Despite this, brutal leg kicks quickly became the agenda for this fight as both men began struggling on their feet. GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JUNE 12: Nate Diaz exits the octagon after losing in an unanimous decision to Leon Edwards of Jamaica during their UFC 263 welterweight match at Gila River Arena on June 12, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona.As round 3 commenced, commentator Joe Rogan recognise the professionalism of both athletes stating: ‘There’s a lot of respect, very interesting’.Ultimately, Diaz would win the fight in round 4 with a precise and perfectly executed chock-hold, taking his professional record to 22-13. A loss takes Ferguson’s record to 26-8. Current UFC lightweight Champion Charles Olivera was quick to let his thoughts known after the fight on Twitter.

Video: Charles Oliveira praises Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson

@CharlesDoBronx posted a brief clip captioned: ’All Respect! #Legends’, showing a bloodied Ferguson raising Diaz’s arm as he paraded around the T-Mobile Arena. A classy show of respect from two UFC legends.

Olivera himself will be preparing to defend his lightweight belt at UFC 280 in October against the 22-1 Russian, Islam Makhachev.