If you’re a fan of MMA, then you have become accustomed to the occasional fight that gets pulled from a card. Whether it’s due to an injury, issues with weight cutting, or something entirely different, it’s just part of the game. Over time, you learn to only let yourself get excited for a fight to a certain extent, because we all know an injury could be just around the corner..
When the UFC matchmakers were putting together the UFC 223 card months ago, the goal was to find the next person to challenge Conor McGregor in the octagon for the Lightweight Championship. The fight to headline said card was the now infamous pairing between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Tony Ferguson, who is the interm Lightweight Champion, was looking to solidify himself as the best in the world against the undefeated Russian, Khabib. The reason the pairing between these two top fighters is so infamous lays heavily on the fact that it would be their 5th time being paired against one another. Both men had been paired up to fight 4 times over the past few years, with each fighter undergoing some sort of misfortune that would cancel the bout.
For MMA fans though, many hoped that the 5th time would be a charm, and we would finally see the highly anticipated war between the top Lightweight contenders. Fate would have other plans in mind.
On Easter Sunday, which also happened to be April Fool’s day this year, the MMA world woke to the devastating news that once again, the fight between Khabib and Tony would not be taking place. Due to a “freak accident”, Ferguson would find himself sidelined with a torn LCL that would require surgery. The fight between Khabib and Tony couldn’t have had bigger stakes attached to it either. Dana White and the UFC let both men know that due to the reigning Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor’s inactivity, their fight would be to crown the new Lightweight Champion and that McGregor would officially be stripped of his championship the night of the fight.
That was until Dana White informed the MMA world of the terrible news. Many thought it was a jovial prank from the boss himself, perhaps poking fun at the fact these two fighters have had so many issues with pullouts in the past, but time would show that it wasn’t a prank. In perhaps the strangest turn of events, Khabib would lose Tony as a challenger, but gain a worthy challenger in the Featherweight Champion, Max Holloway. The loss of Ferguson all of a sudden wasn’t that bad and the MMA world was buzzing about the new exciting match up.
That was until yesterday. While most know by now, Conor McGregor showed the world why he is the most polarizing athlete in the sport. Prompted by an earlier confrontation between close friend Artem Lobov, and rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor flew from Ireland on a short notice to aide his friend. At a UFC 223 media event held yesterday, McGregor lead a group of followers on an all out assault, that was captured by everyone with a smart phone. Throwing dollies, trash cans, and anything not bolted down, McGregor and company caused quite the scene.
The aftermath is more than known by now. A few broken windows to a van carrying fighters lead to many on the van and in attendance receiving multiple injuries. This is where the UFC 223 card would claim 3 more fights in a short span of time. Both Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg would unfortunately be pulled from their bouts due to injuries suffered. Dana White would also pull Artem from his bout on the card due to the role Lobov played in the attack from McGregor.
McGregor would find himself surrendering to the NYPD, who arrested Conor on charges of misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief. For a moment, it seemed as if that was the end of the fallout. That was until this morning, when the curse came to claim another fight.
When Max Holloway stepped in to challenge Khabib on 6 days notice, many knew it was going to be a tough weight cut regardless, on top of a short notice fight. Max was up to the task, and many in the MMA community were hoping for the best, and that Max would get to make the walk on Saturday Night. In the early hours of Friday morning, our fears were once again realized as Holloway would need to be pulled from the bout due to issues with weight cutting.
Perhaps one of the most crushing things about Max having to pull out is the possibility of watching McGregor vs Holloway 2 seems to have faded away for now. With four of the thirteen fights canceled, UFC 223 was in need of a miracle of epic proportions to save the night. Enter “Raging” Al Iaquinta. The UFC were struggling to find a last minute dance partner for Khabib, with names like Anthony Pettis and Paul Felder thrown around as possibilities for the Russian. However, a last minute rally from Iaquinta garnered enough support to make the main event a lock, and it would be Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. “Raging Al” for the Lightweight Championship.
Finally, the UFC 223 Card was set and even though it took some last minute losses, we can set our sights to tonight’s fights. In a rematch that promises to be one of the most exciting championship fights in Women’s MMA, Rose Namajunas looks to defend her throne against former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Will Joanna be able to avenge her lone loss in the octagon, or are we witnessing the “Thug Rose Era” take over the division? In the man event, the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov looks to continue his road of dominance and cement his legacy by capturing the Lightweight Championship. Standing in his way to greatness is the last minute underdog Al Iaquinta, who looks to not only play spoiler to Khabib’s championship dreams, but “Raging Al” is looking to prove that on any given night the title of “best in the world” can be decided with a single performance.
Do you think Al Iaquinta was the best choice or would you have rather watched Pettis or Felder step in against Khabib? After the events that went down this week, do you think that UFC 223 is the most cursed card in history? Feel free to leave your comments below and be sure to stay tuned for more coverage of UFC 223, including predictions and results.