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Crazy 90 Minutes As Three Possible Khabib Opponents Fall Flat

Crazy 90 Minutes As Three Possible Khabib Opponents Fall Flat
Arthur James O'Dea
By Arthur James O'Dea
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First there was Holloway, then possibly Pettis, and then Felder. It has been a frantic built up to UFC 223 on a number of fronts.

Beyond Conor McGregor's performance last night, the issue surrounding who, if anyone, will fight Khabib Numagomedov remains unclear.

With news emerging that Max Holloway would play no part in UFC 223, Khabib Nurmagomedov was once again left without an opponent for the event's main card.

Tony Ferguson was initially due to fight Nurmagomedov, but, after pulling out himself, Max Holloway slotted in to fill the gap. Having been declared "medically unfit" after intense attempts to cut sufficient weight, rumours initially circulated that Anthony Pettis would stand in to keep the event alive.

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Furthermore, the fight would offer Pettis the chance of challenging for Conor McGregor's recently-vacated lightweight belt.

Pettis had initially been set to fight Michael Chiesa on the undercard of this weekend's event. However, after Conor McGregor's antics in the Barclay's Centre last night, and the lacerations Chiesa suffered, that bout had been similarly compromised.

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Yet, as some MMA journalists were quick to point out, there were no guarantees that Nurmagomedov would accept the decision.

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Sure enough, the Pettis/Nurmagomedov bout fell apart as quickly.

The emphasis then shifted toward the 32-year-old Paul Felder; another lightweight who may be able to step in to fill the gap. Yet, even that wasn't immediately straight-forward to sort out.

Sure enough, Felder then confirmed that despite his best efforts, he would not be allowed to fight. As of now, the situation remains unclear.

See Also: Dana White Reveals What Conor McGregor Text Him In Yesterday's Aftermath

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