A scramble, and a fight: Iaquinta vs Nurmagomedov at UFC 223
UFC has a main event for its New York return.
Al Iaquinta, a winner of five straight bouts, will step in and fight in the main event of UFC 223 on Saturday after two other challengers were forced to drop out.
Iaquinta has agreed to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight bout at Barclays Center, steadying a promotion thrown into upheaval following criminal charges against star Conor McGregor.
Max Holloway had agreed to fight Nurmagomedov on Saturday on just six days’ notice after original challenger Tony Ferguson injured a knee. But Holloway was unable to reach the weight limit for the bout Friday and was ruled out by the UFC medical team.