Even by UFC’s standards, this was quite the unexpected development.
Tony Ferguson was forced to withdraw from UFC 223 after tearing a ligament in his knee last Friday. That meant Khabib Nurmagomedov no longer had an opponent for this Saturday’s lightweight championship bout — until UFC president Dana White announced Max Holloway will take Ferguson’s place and fight Nurmagomedov in the headliner.
“The stud, 145-pound champion Max Holloway, is going to step up and face Khabib this Saturday in Brooklyn, N.Y., and it is for the official 155-pound title,” White announced Saturday night in a Twitter video.
So, what exactly happened to Ferguson? The 34-year-old explained Saturday night in a post on Twitter and Instagram.
“As I was completing my UFC pre-fight media obligations on Friday I had an accident on a studio set that tore a ligament in my knee,” Ferguson wrote. “My doctor and the UFC doctor both said I can’t fight and one is saying I need surgery, so I will see a specialist to make the final determination on how I can heal up and get back in there to defend my belt ASAP.”
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto provided more details on Ferguson’s incident.
It’s a pretty tough break for UFC, as this is the fourth time a bout between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov has fallen through. The fight is a great opportunity for Holloway, though: The current featherweight champ would gain huge clout if he could upset one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters on short notice.
