One rumoured UFC 230 main event is now off the table

What is going on with the UFC 230 main event?

The annual Madison Square Garden card is a marquee date on the promotion's calendar but, at the time of writing, the UFC 230 main event has yet to be announced. New York is arguably the fight capital of the world. It was the last state to legalise professional MMA. So, in a way, the UFC feel like they have been making up for lost time with their huge events in the Big Apple. UFC 205 in 2016 had three title fights. It was headlined by huge PPV superstar Conor McGregor. The stacked event was rewarded with an estimated 1.3 million PPVs. Last year, UFC 217 also had three title fights. Georges St-Pierre, another massive draw, was top of the bill. The card drew an estimated 875,000 PPV buys which made it the biggest card of the year. So far, UFC 230 has no title fights. It doesn't have a headline act. The biggest selling point of the card is the return of Nate Diaz. However, he is taking on Dustin Poirier in a three-round lightweight contest that will serve as the co-main event. https://twitter.com/DustinPoirier/status/1042924416332718080

No announcement

The UFC 229 press conference came and went without any update on UFC 230. With Jon Jones set to return from his Usada suspension in a few weeks, it was thought that the former light heavyweight champion would be tasked with the challenge of headlining MSG. Dana White has maintained that he won't, which actually means very little given the UFC president's track record. Another bout that was supposedly looked at was the welterweight title fight between Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington. Neither man is a PPV star. That being said, it is thought that their rivalry could make for mainstream success if it was given the proper promotional backing. It would be unlikely to receive GSP numbers, but with Diaz's help, it may come closer than most people might think. Unfortunately, that fight ain't happening in New York in November. The champion won't be fit to defend his belt in time. He revealed to ESPN that he dislocated his thumb against Darren Till early this month, where he tore three ligaments.

”They are doing a shoestring surgery to provide more stability for my hand and minimize the potential arthritis."

Woodley needs to go under the knife in mid-October and, according to his doctors, he will require a recovery period of eight to 12 weeks. So UFC 230 simply isn't an option for that fight.