On Saturday, April 7, the UFC hosted UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
In the night’s main event, undefeated Dagestani fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov clashed with Al Iaquinta. Nurmagomedov was originally slated to face the promotion’s interim champion, Tony Ferguson, but Ferguson was forced out due to injury during fight week. He was then tabbed to face UFC featherweight titleholder Max Holloway, but the Hawaiian was deemed medically unfit by the New York State Athletic Commission. Nurmagomedov will be eligible to claim the promotion’s lightweight title with a victory, but Iaquinta will not as he did not weigh-in under 155 pounds.
Gold was also on the line in the co-main event as women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas took on the woman she knocked out to earn the belt, Poland’s Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
The nine-fight event kicked off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET with four preliminary-card bouts on Fox Sports 1, with the five-fight main card airing live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.
Rose Namajunas def. Joanna Jędrzejczyk by unanimous decision (49-46×3) – for women’s strawweight title
Renato Moicano def. Calvin Kattar by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Kyle Bochniak by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Chris Gruetzemacher def. Joe Lauzon by TKO (corner stoppage). Round 2, 5:00
Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Felice Herrig by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Evan Dunham by TKO (knee to the body). Round 1, 0:53
Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Bec Rawlings by unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Devin Clark def. Mike Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)