Al Iaquinta is taking on Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 223, a bout that was put together on about a days notice after UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway was ruled out of the encounter by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).
Showtime Executive Vice President & General Manager Stephen Espinoza has had a rocky relationship with the UFC and UFC President Dana White in the past.
Espinoza has recently taken to Twitter to mock the promotion for putting on the main event bout between Iaquinta and Nurmagomedov, mainly rallying against the fact that White said whomever won the bout would be the undisputed lightweight champion:
And they claim boxing is lawless.
— Stephen Espinoza (@StephenEspinoza) April 7, 2018
Never heard a boxing match declared a title fight for both fighters even though one fighter failed to make weight.
Congrats, UFC. You've far outdone boxing in terms of shadiness. But why bother adhering to rules when you don't feel like it? https://t.co/w5JeUoDNKI
I have no issue with the fighters. None at all.
— Stephen Espinoza (@StephenEspinoza) April 7, 2018
My issue is with the organization declaring that almost is good enough on a weigh-in.
Hand grenades, horseshoes and UFC title fights...when almost is good enough. https://t.co/4C3mxlGU5l
The relationship between Espinoza and White soured big time during the lead up to the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor. White and McGregor would even mock Espinoza and Showtime months after the event due to a disagreement in the buy rates.
