Khabib Nurmagomedov’s next fight will be against none other than BJJ black belt Dustin Poirier, the UFC has reported.
The fight will be Nurmagomedov’s first since last October at UFC 229, when he infamously started a brawl in the crowd after defeating Conor McGregor. He was suspended nine months for his role in the incident, and his teammates were also given suspensions for their part. Nurmagomedov swore that he wouldn’t fight again until his teammates’ suspensions were up, so when news came that their suspensions would be reduced (making them eligible to fight in September), many speculated that Nurmagomedov would be a part of UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi.
Now, Nurmagomedov will face off against Poirier — who currently holds the interim lightweight championship title after a win against Max Holloway in April — in the main event of UFC 242. The matchup has been in talks for a while, with Nurmagomedov telling his to-be opponent “See you in September” after Poirier’s last fight. However, the fight is now officially scheduled, and fans of both fighters can finally look forward to what is sure to be an exciting bout between two entertaining athletes.
