To say it’s been a whirlwind 24 hours-plus for Khabib Nurmagomedov would be an understatement. The undefeated Dagestan fighter was all set to finally – finally – fight longtime rival Tony Ferguson for the undisputed lightweight title at UFC 223. And then it happened, on April Fool’s Day no less: Their booking was called off for the fourth time after Ferguson was forced to pull out with an injury suffered in a freak accident late last week. Enter featherweight champion Max Holloway , who was announced as Ferguson’s replacement on just six days’ notice. And now Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) and Nurmagomedov (25-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) will square off for the 155-pound title in Saturday’s main event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., which airs on pay-per-view
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Max Holloway never crossed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s mind as UFC 223 replacement opponent – MMA Junkie