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SPORTS Saturday 7 april 2018

A scramble, and a fight: Iaquinta vs Nurmagomedov at UFC 223

By DAN GELSTON cause of the changes to
AP Sports Writer the main event.
UFC has a main event for its Holloway already was the
New York card. 145-pound champion and
Al Iaquinta, a winner of five was trying to become a
straight bouts, will step in two-division champ by
and fight in the main event beating the undefeated
of UFC 223 on Saturday af- Nurmagomedov in the
ter two other challengers 155-pound title fight. Hol-
were forced to drop out. loway and Nurmagome-
Iaquinta has agreed to dov were fighting for the
fight Khabib Nurmagome- lightweight title left va-
dov in a lightweight bout at cant by McGregor's nearly
Barclays Center, steadying 18-month absence.
a promotion thrown into The original card had
upheaval following criminal shaped up as the best of
charges against star Conor the year and UFC Presi-
McGregor. dent Dana White said it
Max Holloway had agreed was trending toward the
to fight Nurmagomedov on best pay-per-view buy rate
Saturday on just six days' since McGregor's last fight
notice after original chal- at UFC 205.
lenger Tony Ferguson in- But the backstage melee
jured a knee. But Holloway McGregor allegedly insti-
was unable to reach the gated instead has forced Ultimate fighting star Conor McGregor, left, is led by an official to an unmarked vehicle while
leaving the 78th Precinct of the New York Police Department, Friday, April 6, 2018, in the Brooklyn
weight limit for the bout Fri- the removal of three fights borough of New York.
day and was ruled out by because of injuries from the Associated Press
the UFC medical team. attack.
Holloway apologized on Artem Lobov, a close friend his fight against Chiesa fell drzejczyk in a rematch from Jedrzejczyk's undefeat-
Twitter to Nurmagomedov, of McGregor's, was pulled through. Felder, an actor- their fight in November at ed run, but she failed to
saying he wants "to keep from the card for his in- turned-MMA fighter, was Madison Square Garden. tie Ronda Rousey for the
going but they are stop- volvement. Michael Chiesa another lightweight on the Namajunas (17-3) used UFC women's record of six
ping me. Sorry to your team and Ray Borg were hurt in main card who offered to a devastating left that straight successful title de-
and the fans." the mayhem and forced fight Nurmagomedov but dropped Jedrzejczyk (14- fenses.
UFC then scrambled to find off the card. his request was denied. 1) in their first fight and the UFC has spent the last 18
a last-second sub for Hol- McGregor faces three Felder, who has won three Colorado-based champ months craving a new box-
loway in the headline bout counts of assault and one straight fights and five of finished her with a series of office star that can carry
at a sold-out Barclays in count of criminal mischief. six, wrote on Twitter that lefts in a decisive first-round the promotion in 2018 and
Brooklyn. Bail was set for $50,000 and the state athletic commis- victory. beyond while the reliable
Iaquinta, who was sched- he's due back in court June sion said he was not ranked Namajunas is billed as fan favorites are sidelined.
uled to fight Paul Felder, 14. Video footage appears high enough to earn the "Thug" and brought gasps Jon Jones is facing a po-
got the nod. to show the promotion's title shot. a few years back when she tential four-year ban be-
Iaquinta did not meet the most bankable star throw- "I tried to get it. Commission shaved her long, blonde cause of a failed drug test.
155-pound limit when he ing a hand truck at a bus is stopping it," he tweeted. locks in favor of a cropped McGregor's last fight was
weighed in Friday morning full of fighters Thursday after Felder and Pettis will re- cut that resembled Rip- against a bus. Rousey quit
for his fight against Felder a news conference at the ceive bouts at a later date. ley in "Aliens." She choked to join WWE and makes her
before Holloway was arena. Without a main event, UFC back tears at the Garden debut Sunday at Wrestle-
scratched. Nurmagome- McGregor stole the head- likely would have bumped when White slapped the Mania. Former UFC heavy-
dov, a native Russian, will lines while UFC match- the co-main event to championship belt over her weight champion Brock
become the lightweight makers worked behind headline status, and it's a shoulder and fans drowned Lesnar headlines 'Mania.
champ should he win. Ia- the scenes on a new main doozy: Rose Namajunas her out with cheers as she White has said the box-
quinta will not be crowned event. Former UFC light- defends the 115-pound tried to put into words what office titan who last fought
the champ with a victory. weight champion Anthony UFC strawweight champi- the victory meant. at UFC 200 should return to
UFC offered full refunds be- Pettis was available after onship against Joanna Je- The victory not only ended the promotion this year.q