Max Holloway pulls out of Khabib Nurmagomedov fight at UFC 223… with Al Iaquinta stepping in at just 24 hours notice

MAX HOLLOWAY has pulled out of his UFC 223 lightweight showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The featherweight champion has been declared ‘medically unfit’ for the fight, with fellow American Al Iaquinta stepping in at just 24 hours notice.

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Nurmagomedov was originally due to fight Tony Ferguson, before a knee injury to the latter meant he had to pull out.

Now Holloway has joined him as he struggled to shed weight and make the 155-pound limit.

The news comes as yet another blow to MMA, with president Dana White posting tweet that hinted at the strain he has been feeling in the last 24 hours.

Earlier this week Conor McGregor took aim at Nurmagomedov and Ferguson with an X-rated jibe on social media.

AP:Associated Press

But the the Irish fighter has caused even more of a stir after gatecrashing a media day on Thursday and caused chaos in the venue’s loading bay that led to several fighters getting injured.

He appeared in court in New York on Friday charged with assault and criminal mischief.

Fighters Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg were pulled from the card UFC 223 by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) after sustaining injuries, and McGregor’s team-mate Artem Lobov was kicked off the card for his part in the chaos.

McGregor handed himself in to police after footage emerged of the chaotic scenes in the Barclays Centre.

It appeared to show him, flanked by an entourage, making several attempts to rush the vehicle and being stopped from throwing a metal crowd barrier at it.

The fighter was later charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief, while fellow fighter Cian Cowley, 25, was charged with assault.

AP:Associated Press

Reuters

McGregor was seen being led from a police station in handcuffs at around 10.30am New York time on Friday, before appearing at Brooklyn Criminal Court.

McGregor answered, “Yes, your honor” when the judge asked Friday whether he understood orders to stay away from the alleged victims in the case.

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The two men were released on bail, with McGregor’s being set at 50,000 dollars and Cowley’s at 25,000 dollars.

The pair are due to next appear at a New York court on June 14.