Updates: Follow The UFC 223 Lightweight Title Soap Opera Here
It’s safe to say that Saturday’s (April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, has become the most chaotic UFC pay-per-view (PPV) event of all-time.
It was already crazy enough when interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson suffered a torn LCL while filming his UFC-mandated media obligations for the card, was forced out of his main event longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, and was replaced by featherweight champion Max Holloway, but that scenario was only amplified when “Blessed” was forced off of the card during weigh-ins earlier today when the New York State Athletic Commission deemed him medically unfit to compete.
Add that to Conor McGregor‘s all-out melee that left “The Notorious” in cuffs facing assault charges (mugshot here), and you have a scene unlike any we’ve ever witnessed in MMA.
But back to the actual fights.
The UFC attempted to book former champion Anthony Pettis against Nurmagomedov. ‘Showtime’ weighed in at 155.2 pounds and had two additional hours to make 155 on the dot, but when the UFC reportedly wouldn’t pay his asking price for the short-notice bout, the NYSAC pulled the scale and left the weigh-ins stage.
Next, lightweight Paul Felder, who is scheduled to take on Al Iaquinta, was ready to take on Khabib, but the NYSAC declined due to the difference in their rankings. Felder is currently unranked and “The Eagle” is No. 2. But the general view of the “official” UFC rankings is that they’re not the most dependable, making it an odd set of circumstances for them to actually be used in determining if a high-profile fight will move forward or not. Felder is continuing to work with the NYSAC to get them to allow him to fight, but posted that it didn’t look too great:
I tried to get it. Commission is stopping it
— Paul Felder (@felderpaul) April 6, 2018
Then, news arrived that Felder was indeed out of the running to meet Khabib because the NYSAC said he was not ranked:
Can confirm Paul Felder will not get the Nurmagomedov fight because the NYSAC says he's "not ranked." https://t.co/xNEvTWNvFF
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) April 6, 2018
Next up, Ariel Helwani clarified that Pettis would not weigh in again but was is still in play to fight Khabib, although it would now be a three-round fight rather than a five-round title bout and the situation remains very fluid:
Anthony Pettis is not weighing in again. He is still in play to fight Khabib but it would be a 3 rounder, per NYSAC. No decision yet. Felder and Iaquinta are options but so much is fluid.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 6, 2018
As of 1:56 p.m EST, Felder’s original opponent Al Iaquinta is apparently still in play to fight Khabib:
Al Iaquinta is still in play for tomorrow, I’m told.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 6, 2018
Shortly after that tidbit broke, Helwani confirmed that Iaquinta is now the frontrunner to replace Holloway, with the main issue being the .2 of a pound over 155 he weighed in at. Because of that, it’s currently unknown if the fight will be for the title or not:
Sentiment appears to be that Al Iaquinta is emerging as the frontrunner to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov. The issue is the .2 extra. Unclear if it would be for the belt or not. If he had weighed in at 155 this would have been a lot easier. Developing.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 6, 2018
And shortly after that, Helwani stated that the UFC was close to finalizing Iaquinta vs. Nurmagomedov:
UFC is close to finalizing Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Al Iaquinta for tomorrow night, sources confirm.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 6, 2018
Moving forward, the fight is all but signed according to Helwani:
Nurmagomedov vs. Iaquinta is all but signed, sources confirm. Agreed. Would be 5 rounds. Would be main event.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 6, 2018
Finally, Nurmagomedov vs. Iaquinta was finalized for the UFC 223 main event.
And thus ended the craziest two days in UFC history, for now.
