For the fourth time in four years, the bout fell apart, as Ferguson pulled out of the fight on April 1 due to a knee injury. He was replaced by then UFC Featherweight ChampionMax Holloway. If successful, Holloway would have become only the second fighter to be champion in two divisions simultaneously (after McGregor who won the lightweight title at UFC 205 when he was the reigning featherweight champion) as well as the fifth overall to win titles in different divisions.[10] On weigh-in day, the main event suffered another set back as Holloway was deemed medically unfit to compete and then removed from the event.[11] The UFC targeted former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis as his replacement, after Pettis' bout against Michael Chiesa was scrapped due to an incident caused by McGregor (see section below). Pettis weighed in at 155.2 pounds in his first attempt, and despite being given extra time to make the championship weight limit of 155 pounds, he did not weigh in again.[12]
After Holloway was pulled from the event, Paul Felder also offered to step in to face Nurmagomedov as he weighed in at 155, but the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) declined it due to Felder being unranked in the UFC official rankings.[13] The UFC booked Felder's opponent Al Iaquinta instead.[14] Due to weighing 0.2 lb over the championship weight limit, Iaquinta would not be officially eligible for the title in case he won, but UFC president Dana White expressed that he would be considered champion by the UFC, and treated as such to the extent possible under regulations.[15] The NYSAC later reaffirmed that Iaquinta could not be officially recognized as champion.[16] Both Felder and Pettis were also off the event.[14] The bout between Iaquinta and Felder was originally scheduled for UFC 218. However, Iaquinta pulled out due to an undisclosed injury and the bout was rescheduled for this event.[17][18]
On April 5, following the event's media day, Conor McGregor and his crew attacked a bus containing several fighters scheduled to compete at the event, just as it was leaving the arena following a press conference. Nurmagomedov and two teammates were inside that bus. The attack included objects being thrown through a window, which then shattered.[23] As a result of this act, the event suffered several changes:
Artem Lobov was expected to face Alex Caceres, but the bout was scrapped after Lobov was removed from the event due to his direct involvement in the incident.[24]
A flyweight bout between former UFC Flyweight Championship challenger Ray Borg and Brandon Moreno was expected to take place seven weeks earlier at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros. However, due to a minor injury sustained by Moreno, the pairing was delayed and rescheduled to take place at this event.[26] This bout was also scrapped, after Borg had issues related to glass shards in his eye.[27]
McGregor eventually turned himself in to the NYPD and was held in custody as charges were filed. He was later arrested alongside SBG teammate Cian Cowley and charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief.[28] They were released with a bail of $50,000 and $25,000, respectively.[29] The charges were dropped in late July after McGregor pleaded no contest to a count of disorderly conduct for his role in the melee and performed five days of community service.[30][31][32]
