UFC 223: Holloway vs Khabib
Date: April 8
Arena: Barclay Center
City: Brooklyn, NY
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Brooklyn, NY for the second time in promotional history this Saturday night with UFC 223: Holloway vs. Khabib. These are my fighters to watch:
Max Holloway Holloway has a chance to make history by becoming the second fighter to ever hold two UFC titles at the same time. Being the featherweight champion, he will be stepping up a weight class on short notice to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title. The only other fighter ever to do that is Conor McGregor, but unlike McGregor, Holloway has actually defended his 145 pound title before stepping up to 155. This is a big fight for Holloway and a chance for him to become a big legend in the sport of mixed martial arts.
Al Iaquinta Iaquinta returns from a year-long layoff to take on Paul Felder, and it is a matchup Felder has been long pleading for. He now gets what he asked for, which could very well be a case of ‘be careful what you wish for.’ Iaquinta negotiated a new contract and raise for this bout. He will be looking to extend his five fight winning streak to six by outclassing Felder, who will be looking to extend his three fight winning streak to four. Iaquinta’s potential next move following a victory is almost as interesting as the fight itself, and considering he never fails to deliver during post-fight speeches, he is definitely a fighter to watch this Saturday night.
Zabit Magomedsharipov Zabit!!! Kyle Bochniak steps up to the plate to take on Magomedsharipov, after every ranked opponent dodged him. Magomedsharipov is currently 2-0 in the UFC with two finishes and two ‘Performance of the Night’ awards. He is a flashy, skilled and technical fighter who delivers in entertainment every time he steps foot inside the Octagon. This is the biggest fight he has ever competed on, so I expect him to come through with a highly entertaining, crowd pleasing performance, so make sure you tune in to UFC Fight Pass for this one, because it will be the very first fight of the night, very likely kicking the card off on a high note.
