Holloway out, Iaquinta in for UFC 223 main event

With three fights already canceled, UFC 223 took another blow on Friday when Max Holloway had to be replaced in the lightweight title matchup.

UFC officials announced that Al Iaquinta will step in to face undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in the card’s main event Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Holloway (19-3) had taken the fight on six days notice and couldn’t safely reach the 155-pound weight limit, the New York State Athletic Commission ruled.

Because Iaquinta (13-3) came in two-tenths of a pound over the weight limit, only Nurmagomedov (25-0) can be crowned champion should he win the five-round contest.

Three fights were canceled Thursday after Conor McGregor wreaked havoc at media day.

Videos show McGregor, surrounded by an entourage of about 20 people, throwing barricades and other objects at departing buses at a loading dock. The windshield of one bus was cracked, and two fighters sustained injuries that caused them to be dropped from the Saturday fight card.

Michael Chiesa received cuts to the face during the incident, while flyweight Ray Borg came away with multiple corneal abrasions, according to the UFC.

“Conor went bananas and put a beating on the van that we were in looking for Khabib (Nurmagomedov),” Chiesa’s coach, Rick Little, told MMA Junkie. “A million security guards had to restrain him. Mike’s cut up now. He’s got marks on him, for sure. I don’t think too serious. Everything happened so fast. It was just like we got jumped.”

Chiesa was taken to a hospital, UFC president Dana White said, and later was ruled out of his scheduled fight against Anthony Pettis. Borg was due to fight Brandon Moreno.

Chiesa tweeted, “A decision was made by the New York State Athletic Commission to pull me from UFC 223. I’m devastated to say the least. (Pettis), I hope to run this match up ASAP, June 9th in your backyard. That’s all I have to say for now. Much love.”

Artem Lobov, scheduled to fight Alex Caceres on Saturday, was also pulled from the UFC 223 card after appearing to be part of the group with McGregor, according to White.

On Thursday, White called the incident “the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of this company.”

–Field Level Media