Dana White Confirms Al Iaquinta Can Also Win Lightweight Title At UFC 223

Earlier today, the main event for tomorrow’s (Sat., April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was thrown into an outright mess when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his short-notice lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The UFC worked through many twists and turns to find a replacement for “Blessed,” and after much consideration, No. 11-ranked ‘Ragin” Al Iaquinta was chosen as “The Eagle’s” unlikely rival.

The catch was, however, that he could not win the title considering he had weighed in for his scheduled fight with Paul Felder at 155.2 pounds – 0.2 over the title bout limit – with his underwear on because he thought he had to be under 156 pounds for a non-title fight.

Only Khabib could win the belt, but UFC President Dana White refuted that notion at the outset of today’s UFC 25th-Anniversary Presser, revealing that Iaquinta made weight when the commission weighed his underwear:

“The problem with Al was, he was 155.2, which isn’t fight, that was with his underwear on. The commission literally weighed his underwear, and they were .2, so he made weight.”

Pressed if that meant “Ragin’ Al” could also win the title, White said he could – even if it wasn’t necessarily sanctioned by the commission – because if he beat the undefeated Nurmagomedov, everyone would know he was the one and only champion:

“It is on the line, so the title is on the line. As far as the commission goes, Khabib is the one who is eligible for the title, but obviously, if “Ragin Al” wins this fight, he’s the champ. If you beat the man, you are the man, so.

“We as fans, and as fight fans, and as the people, know who the champ is if you win the fight. I mean if you win the fight, you’re the champ. To be the man, you beat the man, and if you beat the man, it’s hard to deny that he’s not the champion, so all technicalities, we will figure out after the fight.”

White was then asked by Ariel Helwani if he would put a belt around Iaquinta’s waist if he did win at UFC 223, to which White backtracked a little bit:

“Like I said, you know, per the New York State Athletic Commission, this is not a title fight for him, It’s an actual regulation, it’s an actual reg, that a guy who doesn’t make exactly on weight cannot be the champion. Obviously if he wins this fight, we’ll figure it out.”