TONY FERGUSON IS out of the headline fight at UFC 223 and will be replaced by Max Holloway.
Ferguson has pulled out from the event due to a torn knee ligament suffered in an accident on a studio set and tweeted confirmation of the news on Sunday.
#UFC223 #TonyFergusonMMA SnapJitsu™️ #SnapDownCity 🙏😎 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/Rf4PWg4QXT
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) 2 April 2018
The California-born fighter was due to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title fight at UFC 223 in Brooklyn on 7 April.
However, featherweight champion Max Holloway has agreed to replace Ferguson at short notice for the headline fight.
“He’s a stud,” Dana White told ESPN, when asked about Holloway. “The guy hasn’t lost a fight since 2013, and that was a decision to Conor McGregor.
“He’s the type of guy that steps up for opportunities like this. And when you think about it, if he wins this fight, other than Conor McGregor, he will be the only guy to hold two belts at the same time.”
McGregor is the official UFC lightweight champion as it stands, after becoming a two-weight champion in his most recent MMA fight, though he is expected to lose the belt amid the culmination of the Nurmagomedov-Holloway fight.
The Irishman has not fought in UFC since November 2016 and White played down suggestions that his return was imminent.
“I don’t think Conor McGregor could make the weight on six days’ notice. That’s a tough weight cut for him,” he said. “And Conor is not the guy I want to throw in as a late replacement fighter. He’s a guy I want to make a fight with and have the right amount of time to promote the fight.
“I think Conor could return in September, and it could be against one of these guys.”
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This kinda thing happens far too often in the UFC, where one of the headliners doesn’t make it to the fight.
@Clay Davis: it’s the nature of the sport….”mixed” martial arts…..you’re training not one discipline but 3, 4, maybe more……there’s a higher risk of injury……
@Gavin Huban: I know the sport, I’m just saying as a casual fan, it’s frustrating to see so many main events switched late on. McGregor is the GOAT, boxing is better too
Would like to see McGregor take on Holloway after this. Max is a much more accomplished fighter now than the last time they met, could be a good match up.
Terrible match making by the UFC, essentially dooming Holloway to a loss against a guy who could easily compete at Welterweight. Can only seeing this going one way; khabib throwing Max around like a rag doll. Props to Max for putting his hand up though. Brave man.
@Robert de Brún: Max is a huge 145er. He could fill out to 155 quite well
Did anyone expect this fight to go ahead
Why didn’t McGregor fight him
@Oisin Walsh: i think he’s fighting anthony joshua next!
@Oisin Walsh: he’s far too big to make 155 on 5 days notice.
@David Linehan: what happened to “stay ready so he doesn’t have to get ready”?
@Oisin Walsh:
Dana said he didn’t want mcgregor to fight at short notice, cause he couldn’t properly promote it.
@Oisin Walsh: if Dana wasn’t gonna let him fight Edgar on short notice he definitely wasn’t gonna let him fight khabib on 5 days notice.
@Anthony Connery: hang on there and I’ll ask him
Mcgregor was right again, he said this fight wouldn’t happen
Is it now for the interim interim title? Belts all round
I would laugh my arse off if kabab misses weight!!!!
Conor’s still champ. This is crazy. 5 call offs. What is going on?
Fair play to Holloway for stepping up. Although I don’t think he should have. It’s border line suicide stepping into the cage with this animal on 5 days notice. McGregor was right not to step in. He knows Khabib would smash his face in.