UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will face interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier this September at UFC 242 in the promotion’s return to Abu Dhabi.
The undefeated Nurmagomedov (27-0) hasn’t fought since last October’s fourth round submission win over Conor McGregor that resulted in a post-fight melee fueled by a personal rivalry between both camps. Nurmagomedov was retroactively suspended for nine months by the Nevada Athletic Commission, but said he wouldn’t compete until two of his teammates’ year-long suspensions were up. Those suspensions just happened to be recently shortened by 35 days following a recommendation from NAC president Bob Bennett.
Poirier won the interim belt with a unanimous decision over Max Holloway at April’s UFC 236. Since moving back to lightweight in 2015, Poirier is 9-1-0-1.
This will be UFC’s third appearance in Abu Dhabi and their first since an April 2014 Fight Night event that drew 7,963 for a $1.8 million gate. Their first event was April 2010’s UFC 112 at the Yas Island complex, headlined by then-middleweight champion Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia, a fight marred by Silva’s lackluster peformance. The show drew 11,009 for a $3.5 million gate.
Last September, UFC owners Endeavor purchased back Abu Dhabi-based Flash Entertainment’s 10% stake in the UFC.