UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

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After the UFC had to hit the shuffle button more than once, UFC 223 is set to go off with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Al Iaquinta fighting for the lightweight title in the main event. 

Well sort of. Nurmagomedov is the only one eligible to win the title because Iaquinta weighed in at 155.2 pounds, .2 pounds over the championship limit. 

The road to that fight is one of the most bizarre things to happen in UFC history, but we'll take it.

The fight that was supposed to be Tony Ferguson vs. The Eagle then turned into a bout between Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway because of injury, which then turned out to be a fight against Anthony Pettis after Holloway was deemed medically unfit to fight. 

Pettis, of course, was available because Conor McGregor decided to throw a dolly through a bus window which left Pettis' opponent—Michael Chiesa—unable to fight due to injuries suffered. But then he was ruled out of the fight by the New York State Athletic Commission. 

None of this is normal. 

The McGregor incident also took Artem Lobov off the card and canceled a bout between Ray Borg and Brandon Moreno due to an eye injury for Borg from the incident. 

Leading into the lightweight title fight will be a women's strawweight scrap that has plenty of intrigue to it. Rose Namajunas will look to prove that her win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk was no fluke. The two will rematch with the UFC title on the line again. 

Here's a look at the complete card, along with TV info and predictions for the night's biggest fights. 

Main Card (Pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET)

• Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta
• Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
• Renato Moicano vs. Calvin Kattar
• Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Kyle Bochniak
• Joe Lauzon vs. Chris Gruetzemacher

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

• Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Felice Herrig
• Bec Rawlings vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith
• Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Evan Dunham
• Devin Clark vs. Mike Rodriguez

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta

Given all the madness that led to this situation one thing is clear: The UFC expects Khabib Nurmagomedov to be the new UFC lightweight champion. 

Especially after McGregor's actions this week, it's time for the division to move on and the organization has desperately held on to Nurmagomedov in the main event. Whereas most main events wouldn't be able to survive two to three changes within the week of the fight, the desire to see Nurmagomedov in the cage is strong enough for him to step in for a title shot. 

Iaquinta is a live dog, though. Even though Nurmagomedov is undefeated in his MMA career, this has been a crazy week for him, as Ariel Helwani noted:

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Ragin' Al is an unknown commodity of sorts at this point. The 30-year-old has fought just once since 2015, scoring a knockout win over Diego Sanchez in 2017. Now he's getting a crack against Nurmagomedov who will have a title on the line. 

It's a win-win situation for Iaquinta and that's how he's approaching the fight. 

“I come in here, I've got nothing to lose,” said Iaquinta, per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. “I'm focused on going out there and just having fun. There's no pressure on my back. Go out there, do what I love to do.”

Iaquinta is a strong boxer with good pop in his hands. There is a scenario out there in which he is able to land a punch cleanly against Nurmagomedov and shocks the world. 

The bad news for him is that all three of his losses have come by way of submission. He's about to take on the scariest grappler in his division and possibly the sport. With a title on the line, that's likely to be his downfall as Nurmagomedov follows through on his massive favorite status. 

Prediction: Nurmagomedov via second-round submission

Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2

It's very rare that sequels are better than the original, but that just might be the case in the women's strawweight title fight. 

Namajunas brought the first bout to a shocking conclusion early. After stunning the champion she seized the opportunity to take the belt in the first round, handing Jedrzejczyk her first career loss. 

The opening minutes to this bout should be fascinating this time around. Jedrzejczyk has been a slow starter in the past and it was a reason that Namajunas was able to successfully put her away early. This time, Jedrzejczyk will be on high alert. 

It's a dynamic that will play a big role in the fight according to American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez. 

"Joanna is aggressive, and when she smells blood, she goes for it. Rose is the same, but she's not as seasoned a striker," Mendez said, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN. "I think Joanna's takedown defense is very good. I don't think Rose is dominant enough there to have her way, unless she hurts her first."

Even though Namajunas scored the knockout last time, Jedrzejczyk is still one of the most polished strikers in the sport. If she can get over the mental hurdle of staring across the cage at the woman that took away her title the last time out, she should make it difficult for Namajunas to repeat her last strategy. 

Over the course of a longer fight, expect the roles to be reversed and the return of the champion. 

Prediction: Jedrzejczyk via decision