Khabib Nurmagomedov's next UFC fight will come against interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi on September 7, according to ESPN's Ariel Helwani.
Khabib (27-0) has not fought since October when he defeated Conor McGregor via fourth round submission at UFC 229. As we know, that PPV ended with a chaotic brawl that resulted in both fighters being suspended. Khabib's suspension will officially come to an end on July 6.
In Khabib's absence, Dustin Poirier (25-5, 1 NC) was crowned the interim Lightweight champ after he defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision at UFC 236 in April. Poirier will enter the highly anticipated championship bout on a six-fight winning streak, which also includes victories against Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaithje and Anthony Pettis.
In an interview with MMA Junkie Radio last month, Poirier discussed the possibility of taking on the undefeated champ in Abu Dhabi.
“That’s a big challenge to go over there,” Poirier said. “(Nurmagomedov is) probably one of the biggest Muslim stars, sports stars for sure. To go into enemy territory and fight their guy is going to be a huge challenge. But that’s what you sign up for.”
According to MMA Junkie, other fights currently planned for UFC 242 include: Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Curtis Blaydes, Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato, and Ottman Azaitar vs. Teemu Packalen.