This is not an April Fools Day joke. UFC 223 has been shook up. Max Holloway steps in to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov, with Tony Ferguson out.
Tony Ferguson out, Max Holloway in
The news was reported via UFC President Dana White.
BOOM!!!!!! We got Khabib vs The Champ Max Holloway for the 155lb title this Saturday in Brooklyn New York!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/quvI3UqGXh
— Dana White (@danawhite) April 1, 2018
This is the fourth time Ferguson and Nurmagomedov have been slated to fight, but it has not come to fruition.
UFC president Dana White told ESPN that Ferguson tore his LCL and needs surgery.
“He actually tore it off the bone, he’s gonna need surgery on his knee,” White said.
“As soon as these guys step in the ring and throw a punch, it’s on for the title,” White said. “Whoever wins, wins the title and we’ll see what happens with Conor over the next several months. I know he had expressed some interest in fighting in September.”
The current UFC Interim Featherweight Champion, Holloway will look to capture his second title, as he steps in to fight Nurmagomedov on less than two weeks notice.
The new UFC 223 fight card looks as follows.
MAIN CARD (PPV – 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET)
Max Holloway vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov – for lightweight title
Champ Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk – for women’s strawweight title
Calvin Kattar vs. Renato Moicano
Michael Chiesa vs. Anthony Pettis
Paul Felder vs. Al Iaquinta
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1 – 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET)
Felice Herrig vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Ray Borg vs. Brandon Moreno
Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Joe Lauzon
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Evan Dunham
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass – 3:15 p.m. PT/6:15 p.m. ET)
Alex Caceres vs. Artem Lobov
Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Bec Rawlings
Devin Clark vs. Michael Rodriguez
Kyle Bochniak vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov
